Commercial trucks over 14,000 pounds and vehicles with a placarded amount of hazardous materials will be prohibited from traveling on the George C. Platt Memorial Bridge (Route 291) over the Schuylkill River in Southwest Philadelphia for two years as of Monday, May 7 at 9 a.m.

The Platt Bridge travel restriction is being implemented in coordination with the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Fire Department and Pennsylvania State Police to eliminate the potential for truck crashes and incidents involving hazardous materials within the bridge's single-lane construction pattern.

The truck and hazardous material restriction on the Platt Bridge will be enforced and will remain in effect until June 2014, when the $42.7 million bridge rehabilitation project is scheduled to be completed.

Travel on the 1.7-mile-long Platt Bridge is restricted to one lane in each direction during construction, with concrete barriers separating eastbound and westbound traffic. The posted speed limit on the bridge is 35 miles per hour.

PennDOT will post detour signs and electronic message boards to direct large trucks and vehicles carrying a placarded amount of hazardous materials around the Platt Bridge (Route 291). The posted detours are:

- From I-95 North: I-95 North to the Broad Street exit (Exit 17), Broad Street north to Pattison Avenue, left on Pattison Avenue to Penrose Avenue (Route 291)

- From 26th Street: Left on Penrose Avenue (Route 291), right on Pattison Avenue, right on Broad Street south to the on-ramp to I-95 South, I-95 South to the Enterprise Avenue exit (Exit 15), Enterprise Avenue to Island

- From Westbound Route 291: Enterprise Avenue to I-95 North to the Broad Street exit (Exit 17), north on Broad Street to Pattison Avenue, left on Pattison Avenue to Penrose Avenue (Route 291).

In addition, PennDOT will post two portable electronic message boards on eastbound Interstate 76 (Schuylkill Expressway) to advise truck drivers to use alternate routes to reach Penrose Avenue (Route 291) or I-95. One message board will be located before the Interstate 676 Interchange in Philadelphia, which will inform truck drivers to follow I-676 East and I-95 South. A second message board will be placed after the 34th Street on-ramp, which will recommend using Passyunk Avenue/Essington Avenue and Bartam Avenue to reach Route 291 or I-95 South.

PennDOT is rehabilitating and painting the Platt Bridge to preserve the structure and keep it in sound structural condition. The project includes painting the bridge's steel truss and structural steel underneath the approach spans to protect them from the elements; rehabilitating and resurfacing the center truss spans; resurfacing the concrete approach spans; repairing structural steel; replacing expansion joints; repairing concrete piers; replacing guide rail; and replacing damaged pedestrian railings.

The $42.78 million project is financed with 80% federal and 20% state funds.

Go to www.plattbridge.com for additional information on the Platt Bridge improvement project.