The Philadelphia Streets Department Announces Road Closures in Center City to Remove Snow Starting Today, January 27

PHILADELPHIA - The Streets Department announces a Lifting Operation, the excavation, loading, and removal of snow, set to begin this afternoon around City Hall. This operation will involve dozens of vehicles, including excavators and loaders, to quickly and efficiently remove tons of snow from Center City. Penn Square and nearby blocks will be fully closed to ensure the safety of these crews and the traveling public.

Penn Square and the surrounding blocks will be closed beginning at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon and continuing through 12:00 midnight tonight. This closure includes:

• Penn Square around City Hall
• North Broad from Arch Street to City Hall
• South Broad from Chestnut Street to City Hall
• 15th Street from Arch Street to Chestnut Street
• JFK Boulevard from Filbert to 16th Street
• East Market Street from 13th Street to City Hall
• West Market Street from 16th Street to City Hall

The crews and vehicles involved in this operation have been working in North Philly over the past two days, lifting snow from Girard Avenue and nearby neighborhoods since Sunday evening. Similar Lifting Operations have been underway in neighborhoods across the city.

These Lifting Operations deploy over 200 vehicles and excavators, organized into 14 teams spread out across the city. This work involves excavating snow from narrow roadways, collecting it on nearby primary streets, loading it into dump trucks, and then transporting it to snow storage sites across the city. These operations, as well as plowing and salting, will continue until all roadways in Philadelphia, primary, secondary, and tertiary, are treated.

The Streets Department asks residents to continue avoiding unnecessary travel. If you must travel, give yourself extra time, slow down, and help keep our crews safe by giving them plenty of space to do their work.