South Street Bridge plans will aid pedestrians | Interactive graphic

There's a light at the end of the reconstruction of South Street Bridge for the many students and city residents who have changed their commuting routines since the bridge's closure.

When drafting the latest plans for the new bridge, developers opted for a pedestrian-friendly design, a fact that pleases many weary Penn commuters.

With large chunks of the old bridge missing now that demolition has been underway for almost three months, the new structure will soon start to materialize.

The updated development plans range from an improved lighting system mounted on the sidewalks to a 25-mile-per-hour speed limit.

This $67 million project is "not small potatoes," said Jim Campbell, director of the South Street Bridge Coalition. "We need to think in great detail."

Campbell played an instrumental role in creating a design for a more pedestrian-oriented bridge, reflecting the transportation paradigm shift: fewer motorized vehicles and more pedestrians and bicyclists.

The new plan calls for four lanes instead of the proposed five in order to create wider bicycle lanes, he said.

College senior Arthur Vierkant, an avid bicyclist, said he has ridden across the South Street Bridge countless times.

He added that he looks forward to the new bridge, saying that it will "definitely be an improvement over the last one."

Vierkant said he is discontented because his old bike route is being demolished.

But he acknowledged that the bridge needed to be built, describing the bike lanes of the old bridge as uneven and bumpy.

Officials have been trying to make the transition as easy as possible.

"All parties have worked extremely well to make the process as painless as possible," Marcia Wilkof, Democratic leader of the 30th Ward, said.

Demolition takes place in the middle of the night in order to avoid disrupting other modes of transportation, she said.

Plus, the newly constructed Weave Bridge eases the strains caused by the South Street Bridge closure by providing a fast bypass for student athletes and coaches to reach the Hollenback Center.

While the South Street Bridge still remains in the demolition stage, other students are forced to find detours around it.

College freshman Jake Cassman said his route to the WQHS student-radio building, located at 3000 South St., is complicated.

Cassman's trek involves traveling around Franklin Field, over a set of train tracks, around Bower Field, and over yet another set of train tracks - adding an extra 20 minutes to his commute.

But for Cassman and others affected by the bridge's closure, the inconvenience is temporary.

According to Campbell, the completed bridge will be "cleaner and greener - and that's the kind of future we want."

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