A reader gave us the heads up about some weird structure going up next to the South Street Bridge, on the northern edge of the site that will eventually contain a huge CHOP facility. What the heck is going on here?

From afar

Getting closer

Closest yet

We went up to the two gentlemen working on the structure and asked them exactly what they were doing. They explained that they were working on a “mock up of the CHOP thing.” As they were both twenty feet in the air, we didn’t really have a chance to ask them to elaborate.

So… look out Naval Square. There’s a mock up of the CHOP thing coming soon to your backyard. Do not panic. All is well. Probably.

In November of 2010, the long national nightmare ended for commuters, and all of West Philadelphia when the South Street Bridge reopened (amazingly) ahead of schedule. In the nearly two years since, we’ve used this convenient piece of infrastructure on numerous occasions, enjoying the pleasure of traveling over the bridge without any of the once slightly warranted fears that the bridge might suddenly collapse. With spacious bike lanes, wide sidewalks, and sensibly designed lanes for cars, this new bridge is clearly the envy of the other Schuylkill River crossings near Center City.

On the bridge

And tonight, at 9pm, the City will officially mark the conclusion of the South Street Bridge project with the illumination of the bridge’s light towers. The towers have still been a work in progress since the bridge reopened, with their completion taking place during 2011. LED lights have been installed…