Market Street closures: Westbound lanes in Old City to close for months due to construction

Westbound lanes to close on Philadelphia's Market Street for months amid construction

As work continues on Market Street, the westbound lanes will be closed for months.

PHILADELPHIA - Market Street in Old City is facing a prolonged closure of its westbound lanes, causing detours for drivers and frustration for pedestrians and local businesses. 

The construction, part of Philadelphia's Old City improvement project, is set to last for months.

Market Street improvement project

What we know:

From Aug. 4 to Nov. 17 westbound Market Street will be closed for road work between 2nd and 6th streets. 

One lane of eastbound traffic will remain open from 6th Street to Front Street during the months of construction. 

The construction is part of the Old City improvement project, which aims to add bike lanes, bus boarding bump outs, and left turn lanes. The eastbound side of Market Street was previously affected, and now the westbound side will be closed until November for utility and road work, according to PennDOT.

What we don't know:

The exact timeline for the completion of the entire project remains unclear, leaving businesses and residents uncertain about when normalcy will return.

Impact on Old City businesses

What they're saying:

Local businesses are feeling the strain as Market Street undergoes construction. 

"Sales went down 50-60 percent, so it was heartbreaking for us," explained Anser Bhatti, co-owner of Coffee Tea and Company. 

Bhatti added that the construction has forced him to take a personal loan to keep the business afloat.

Vinny Palermo from Angelo’s Pizza echoed similar concerns, stating that the construction has made it difficult to receive deliveries and maintain foot traffic. 

"We already have a tough time getting our deliveries and stuff, and you know, foot traffic’s down, deliveries down," Palermo said. "They took away all the parking spots. They took away everything." 

Cindy Castro from Oh Brother Cheesesteaks expressed frustration over the project's impact on foot traffic and business operations. 

"Really frustrated because not only, foot traffic is gonna be incredibly, really difficult, but we also work at a very...our cheesesteak place you know we need business!" Cindy Castro said. Kieley Ponzo, also from Oh Brother Cheesesteaks, added, "I hope we can get through it I hope it would just be this but now hearing that, like, you can’t even get to the bank right there - it doesn’t make any sense!"