Upper Darby, 69th Street Corridor Road Closures During Weekend Of Papal Visit
By Tom Rickert
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- Philadelphia is expecting to host more than a million people when Pope Francis celebrates Mass on the Ben Franklin Parkway. Upper Darby officials say a lot of them are going to come through SEPTA's 69th Street Terminal, making some road closures in the area necessary.
Upper Darby Mayor Tom Micozzie calls 69th Street Terminal "one of the major suburban gateways into Philadelphia for individuals using public transportation." Parking in the area will be very limited, so Micozzie advises people planning to use 69th Street Station to have a ride to-and-from the terminal.
Stretches of major highways and other roads in Philadelphia are closed for the weekend, and in Upper Darby, officials say safety concerns make closing some streets around the corridor necessary.
Notably, a stretch of Market Street/West Chester Pike from Powell Lane to Victory Avenue will be shut down to vehicle traffic from midnight Friday to 7am Monday. Victory Ave from State Road to West Chester Pike and neighborhood streets are closed as well. Officials say residents will be able to use the roads to get to their homes.
Rider pick-up and drop-off areas are designated on the maps.
Philadelphia's contract with the World Meeting of Families allows for about $12 million to be paid to the city, and Micozzie says Upper Darby will pursue reimbursement for costs resulting from the Papal visit as well, which he estimates will be greater than $200,000 - for emergency services, township staff, and other expenses.
"This has been a regional effort that is not limited to the City of Philadelphia," Micozzie says, "and our view is that Upper Darby and the regional partners should receive a share of the reimbursement."
Upper Darby officials expect businesses in the corridor to stay open during the Papal visit weekend.
For more information visit the township's website, or Delaware County's website.
