Major Philadelphia-New Jersey bridge to close for pope visit

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A major bridge between Philadelphia and New Jersey and some major highways will be shut down for Pope Francis' visit the last weekend in September, and National Guardsmen will be brought in to assist with traffic control, authorities announced Wednesday.

The nearly 2-mile-long Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which crosses the Delaware River, will be closed to vehicles from 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, to about noon on Monday, Sept. 28. The bridge will remain open to pedestrians.Mayor Michael Nutter said a 3-square-mile area extending north and south of the city center and to a portion of west Philadelphia will also be closed to all incoming traffic except emergency vehicles, starting in some areas at 6 p.m. Friday. Vehicles will be able to move around within the zone, but if they leave, they won't be able to return during the pope's weekend visit.

Transportation officials said sections of Interstates 76 and 676 and a portion of U.S. Route 1 will be closed for the weekend, starting at 10 p.m. Friday.

Interstate 95 will remain open to traffic, they said, but some ramps will be closed.

More than 1,000 state troopers are being deployed to assist in helping secure the visit.

State transportation officials said the U.S. Secret Service, responsible for the pope's security during his visit, had requested that National Guard members also help out with traffic control in the city.

The pontiff is visiting Washington and New York before making a final two-day weekend stop in Philadelphia, where the biggest public events of his U.S. trip will be held.

He'll take part in the concluding ceremony of an international gathering of Roman Catholic families and celebrate an outdoor Mass.

Both are expected to draw more than 1 million people and will be held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a wide scenic boulevard that runs through the city's museum district, ending at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Leslie S Richards, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said  local, state and federal agencies have been working together, so everyone who wants to enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Pope can do so in a very safe way.

She said for New Jersey residents trying to get into Philadelphia, there will be parking in Camden. The Ben Franklin Bridge will be available for pedestrians to cross from Camden into Philadelphia. However, she said many lots may be unavailable because registered buses will be parking there, so there’s no guarantee.

"It’s going to be a long walk, maybe 4 or 5 miles, and all visitors will have to pass through several checkpoints," she added.

Richards said anyone planning to see the pope needs to plan ahead.

"This is not the type of event where you can wake up in the morning on Saturday or Sunday and say 'hey, why don’t we go into Philadelphia to see the Pope.' This is an event where you definitely need to plan ahead," she said.

David Matthau contributed to this report.

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