By Mark Abrams

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Tractor trailer rigs and tanker trucks carrying chemicals or other hazardous materials will be banned from the Platt Bridge in southwest Philadelphia beginning Monday.

PennDOT’s Gene Blaum says the ban will be in effect for two years, until the summer of 2014, when the reconstruction work on the bridge – which carries Route 291 over the Schuylkill River – is expected to be finished.

Blaum says traffic is now restricted to one lane in each direction with motorists being directed into concrete “cattle chutes” to keep them away from construction crews.

He says safety concerns are the reason for the truck ban.

“The police department and fire department are very concerned about any incident that would occur on the bridge involving a large truck or would involve any type of hazardous materials spill.”

Blaum says the big issue is emergency crews even being able to get to a serious accident scene.

More about the truck ban at http://www.plattbridge.com