The reconstruction will affect staff and patients at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the bustling complex near the bridge's west end, said Kevin Mahoney, senior vice president of the Penn Health System.
Staff are encouraged to use public transportation or to carpool, he said. Those who walked to work across the South Street Bridge will likely cross on the Walnut Street Bridge, Mahoney said, "adding some time to their commute. But we are hoping they stay on foot because we certainly don't want more cars over here."
Penn has installed more bicycle racks and added runs for its local shuttles. Doctors holding monthly parking passes have been encouraged to give those up and carpool or take public transit in exchange for guaranteed parking on the four or five nights a month they are on call.
HUP also has budgeted a large amount of overtime for Penn police to direct traffic at 19 key intersections, Mahoney said. From a command center on campus, the flow of cars will be monitored by closed-circuit television. A city traffic engineer will be on hand to order changes in the timing of stoplights and other adjustments as needed.
For simplicity, Mahoney said, patients arriving by car are encouraged to use University Avenue. The University City SEPTA station near the west end of the bridge will remain open, but the South Street entrance will be closed; passengers will have to enter from Convention Avenue.
East of the bridge, at Ants Pants Cafe in the 2200 block of South Street, co-owner Nancy Silverman said she expected some fall-off in business.
"Some of my regular coffee customers in the morning say they won't be seeing us for a while," said Silverman, whose patrons include neighborhood people and scrubs-wearing doctors and nurses en route to HUP.
