Schuylkill River

Plymouth Township Council opposes a proposed 2 million-square-foot data center in Conshohocken, accusing developer Brian O’Neill of intimidation tactics. The facility, part of eight similar projects in Montgomery County, faces criticism over environmental concerns and potential energy bill increases. A petition against the project has collected over 3,600 signatures, and the township’s planning agency previously refused to endorse the proposal.

Westbound I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) in West Philly will close nightly for four days starting July 20 as PennDOT works on the Market Street bridge rehabilitation. The bridge will later close to vehicles until October 2027, with pedestrians and cyclists encouraged to use alternate routes. The $149 million project aims to replace sections of the 94-year-old bridge and is expected to finish in April 2029.

Penn researchers warn that intense storms like Hurricane Ida, which caused severe flooding in Philadelphia in 2021, are projected to occur every three years due to climate change and outdated infrastructure. A study published in npj Natural Hazards highlights that climate change, combined with paved surfaces and aging drainage systems, will lead to increasingly damaging floods in the region.