Kelly Drive reopens after Schuylkill River flooded road in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Kelly Drive has reopened Thursday after floodwater and debris from the Schuylkill River blocked the highway Wednesday and into Thursday morning's commute.
Thursday morning, water was off the highway but mud and debris remained on the road. Crews were checking out the road to make sure it wasn't damaged.
UPDATE: Kelly Drive is reopened. Philadelphia’s Water Department, Streets Department, and Parks & Recreation worked through the day to remove mud and debris from the road and trail while Police ensured public safety. pic.twitter.com/zRgX02nWjU
— Philadelphia OEM (@PhilaOEM) January 11, 2024
Philadelphia's Office of Emergency Management said on X that crews from the city's water, streets and parks and recreation departments worked through the day to remove mud and debris from Kelly Drive and the trail next to it.
On Wednesday, parts of Kelly Drive were underwater when the Schuylkill River overtopped its banks following a heavy rain storm Tuesday night, flooding the key road connecting Center City, Brewerytown and Strawberry Mansion with neighborhoods like East Falls, Roxborough and Manayunk.
The Schuylkill was one of several local bodies of water that reached flood stage after heavy rain from Tuesday's storm. Data showed it crested above 12 feet near Boathouse Row on Wednesday, as rain from the storm filled up the river. That sent water spilling onto Kelly Drive and Martin Luther King Drive along the river.
The road remained closed between Hunting Park Avenue and the Falls Bridge well into the afternoon on Thursday.
Here's a video from the ground showing how Kelly Drive looked Wednesday morning: