The Streets Commissioner Kirstin Del Rossi revealed plans to shut down the 3000 block of Clifford Street to through-traffic starting next week. The interruption, aimed at re-installing historic bricks on Montgomery Avenue, is expected to begin bright and early at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, July 29 and will run through to the afternoon of Friday, August 2 at 5:00 p.m., as announced in a press release.
Local traffic will still have access via 31st Street. This is part of a grander scheme involving the thoroughfare's makeover from its entrance to where it meets 31st Street. The whole operation to reinstate the old-world charm of the area's streetscape was necessitated by the ongoing reconstruction of the Montgomery Avenue Bridge, which saw its inception in the early months of 2022.
Buckley & Company, a Philadelphia-based contractor, will carry out the historic brick back. A nod to the past, these bricks were initially lifted, tagged, and cleaned in anticipation of this moment, ensuring that modernity in infrastructure does not trample over the legacy embedded in the city's lanes.
And the bill for refurbishing history is at $17.2 million, the project is mostly buoyed by Federal grants, responsible for 80% of the funds, State grants (15%), and a dab of City Capital Funds (5%). Del Rossi and her Streets Department crew are already extending their gratitude to residents and motorists for their expected patience and understanding during the time when machines and masons become temporary fixtures on Clifford and Montgomery.
