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Martin Luther King Drive Bridge officially reopened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon, led by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. About 70 bikers and advocates came out to celebrate and participate in an inaugural ride across the renovated bridge.

“This has been a long time coming,” Parker told the crowd assembled at the east end of the bridge.

The $20.1 million rehabilitation of MLK Drive Bridge began a little over two years ago, in March 2023. The reopening will restore a key connection for commuters and cyclists with West Philadelphia.

Renovations to the structure include removing a vehicle lane, bringing the total down from four to three, and adding a 10 1/2-foot-wide bike path alongside those lanes.
Bikers attend the ribbon cutting ceremony at MLK Drive Bridge, celebrating the reopening of the popular Philadelphia connector. (Ben Bennett/WHYY)

The construction phase of the bridge created 200 jobs, Parker said. The repairs were also fully paid for by federal funds.

The Philadelphia mayor described the 700-foot bridge, which spans the Schuylkill River near the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as “safer, cleaner, greener, with economic opportunity for all.”