PHILADELPHIA (March 27, 2026) – SEPTA today gathered with elected officials and other stakeholders to kick off a major rehabilitation project on the M [Norristown High Speed Line] that will impact more than one-third of the 5,600 weekday trips that passengers take on the line.
Starting Sunday, March 29 through Saturday, May 9, shuttle buses will replace train service between Bridgeport Station and Norristown Transit Center. Train service will operate as normal between Bridgeport Station and 69th Street Transit Center.
SEPTA is making structural repairs to the Bridgeport Viaduct, which is the 3,525-foot-long bridge that carries the M Line over the Schuylkill River. Passengers make nearly 1,900 trips over the bridge every weekday.
“The Bridgeport Viaduct is more than a bridge on SEPTA’s M Line,” said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. “It is a true gateway carrying not just trains, but people getting to work, school, and home – connecting Montgomery County to Delaware County and beyond. We are proud to make this investment on behalf of our riders and the residents of Bridgeport and Norristown.”
When it was built in 1911, the Bridgeport Viaduct was state of the art; however, after more than a century of service, it now requires major repairs to extend its life for decades to come.
“This 115-year-old viaduct is SEPTA’s third-longest bridge, and this work is needed for us to be able to continue M service between Bridgeport and Norristown,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “This project is being completed in phases to avoid an outage this summer when Philadelphia hosts FIFA World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game, and America’s 250th birthday celebration.”
The estimated cost of the project is $55 million, including design, support, and construction. Third-party contractor J.D. Eckman will complete the work, which includes:
- Structural steel repairs
- Concrete repairs to abutments and piers
- Bearing replacement
- Concrete deck replacement
- Maintenance catwalk replacement
- Repainting of the entire structure
- Replacement of the Norristown Transit Center stairway
Construction will take about one year to complete, with future outages planned for later this year and early next year.
Riders should plan ahead and allow for additional travel time. A new M schedule with specific train and bus times is available online.
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