Kelly Drive reopens after Schuylkill River flooding
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Kelly Drive reopened Thursday evening after being closed for the second time this month because of flooding along the Schuylkill River.
Police blocked a section of the drive between Ferry Road and Midvale Avenue Thursday, and detours were in place to help drivers navigate around the closure. The river crested around noon. By 11 a.m., the National Weather Service reported levels already at 11.2 feet.
Once levels reach 10.4 feet, Kelly Drive begins to flood. When levels reach 11.5 feet, MLK Drive begins to flood.
Drivers said the closure made commutes much longer than usual.
"It's just standstill, like going got the beach on the weekend," one driver said.
A look at the closure on Kelly Drive at the moment because of the flooding. This is between Ferry Rd & Midvale Ave.
— Marcella Baietto (@MarcellaBaietto) December 28, 2023
We’ll have the latest at 9 AM. @CBSPhiladelphia https://t.co/8FsI3izDoL pic.twitter.com/DFm9Z7aLLs
December 2023 has turned into one of the wettest Decembers on record in Philadelphia. Not including Thursday, Philadelphia has received 7.71 inches of rain so far this month, making it the third rainiest December on record. Record keeping goes back to 1871.