The Bridgeport Viaduct on SEPTA’s Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL) will be closed for a routine inspection from 4:45 am -5 pm. On April 28 and 29, 2018. During this time, buses will replace NHSL trains from Norristown Transportation Center (NTC) to Gulph Mills Station. Trains will operate between 69th Street Transportation Center and Hughes Park Stations.

SEPTA’s Bridgeport Viaduct is the 3,175 foot- single track bridge that carries the NHSL over the Schuylkill River and two rail lines (including the Manayunk-Norristown Regional Rail Line) between Bridgeport Station and NTC. The Viaduct inspection is part of the authority’s system-wide bridge inspection program, conducted by SEPTA’s in-house Buildings & Bridges Department personnel. This routine, two-year cyclical inspection will be performed using a snooper truck-a specialized on-track vehicle that allows for a thorough examination of the underside of a bridge without personnel entering areas under the structure.

“Due to the length of the single-track bridge and the challenging conditions under and around the structure, our crews cannot conduct their work while trains are operating or during the short overnight window when trains are not in service,” said Bob Lund, SEPTA’s Assistant General Manager of Engineering, Maintenance and Construction. “We have to close the Viaduct to trains for a safe, thorough inspection.”

SEPTA Track, Communications & Signals, Power and Buildings & Bridges crews will take advantage of the Viaduct closure to perform key maintenance and construction work to help improve NHSL reliability and reduce the need for future track outages.

Shuttle buses will operate between NTC and Gulph Mills Station, from the start of the service day until 5 pm. Passengers traveling inbound to 69th Street will board buses from NTC to Gulph Mills Station, where they will transfer to trains to continue their trips. Buses will depart NTC approximately 16 minutes earlier than normal train times, adding approximately 16 minutes to customers’ commutes to 69th Street.

Passengers traveling from 69th Street to NTC will board trains at regularly scheduled times between 69th Street and Gulph Mills, where they will transfer to buses to complete their trips. Outbound buses are expected to arrive at NTC approximately 12 minutes later than normal train times, adding approximately 12 minutes to customers” commutes. Please note that passengers traveling to and from Hughes Park Station will continue to use trains during the bus substitution.

For more information, including NHSL schedules, please contact SEPTA Customer Service at 215-580-7800 or on Twitter at @SEPTA_Social; visit www.septa.org and follow NHSL service updates on Twitter at @SEPTA_NHSL.