Traffic Shift, Ramp Closure Next Week Mark the Start of Southbound I-95 Reconstruction at Bridge Street in Northeast Philadelphia
Rep. Joseph C. Hohenstein May 30, 2024 | 2:29 PM
Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that reconstruction of the southbound side of Interstate 95 is scheduled to begin at the Bridge Street Interchange following a mid-week traffic shift and closure of the southbound off-ramp to James Street (Exit 27) in Northeast Philadelphia.
Motorists are advised of the following travel restrictions:
- Monday, June 3, through Thursday, June 6, from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, a right lane closure will be in place on northbound and southbound I-95 between the Betsy Ross Bridge and Allegheny Avenue interchanges for core borings.
- Monday, June 3, through Friday, June 7, from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, the ramp from Aramingo Avenue to southbound I-95 at the Bridge Street Interchange will close for emergency pavement repairs. Motorists will be detoured south on Aramingo Avenue to the ramp to I-95 south at the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange.
- Wednesday, June 5, and Friday June 7, from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, single lane closures will be in place on southbound I-95 between the Cottman Avenue and Bridge Street interchanges for barrier placement and removal.
- Thursday, June 6, from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, alternating single and double lane closures will be in place on southbound I-95 between the Cottman Avenue and Bridge Street interchanges to set up the new traffic pattern.
- The southbound off-ramp to James Street (Exit 27) will close permanently at this time. Motorists will be detoured to the northbound Aramingo Avenue off-ramp at the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange (Exit 26) then east on Tacony Street to Bridge Street.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for travel through all I-95 work areas. All scheduled activities are weather permitting.
The core borings are part of the design phase for PennDOT’s upcoming I-95/AF3 project that will reconstruct northbound I-95 and its structures between Ann Street and Wheatsheaf Lane. Section AF3 is tentatively scheduled for construction in 2025.
The on-ramp repairs are part of a $37.4 million project to perform high-priority repairs on 27 I-95 bridges in the City, to maintain the functionality, safety, and mobility of the structures along this critical corridor.
The activities at the Bridge Street Interchange are part of PennDOT’s ongoing I-95/BS2 project that will reconstruct I-95 in both directions from Margaret Street to Carver Street. Section BS2 is expected to be completed in 2027.
Next week’s shift will free the southbound lanes through the work zone, allowing PennDOT’s contractor to begin rebuilding that side of the interstate. The six-lane traffic pattern (three lanes each direction) will remain in place for the duration of the project. When southbound reconstruction is completed in 2025, the traffic pattern will shift to the west side of the work area for reconstruction of the northbound side of I-95.
The southbound off-ramp to James Street will be replaced with new southbound off-ramp will pass under I-95 to a new signalized interchange complex on Tacony Street north of Bridge Street. That new interchange will also accommodate new a new northbound on ramp that will be built during the next stage of the BS2 project. The existing northbound on-ramp from Bridge Street will remain open until the new on-ramp is in place.
The original northbound I-95 off-ramp to Bridge Street (Exit 27) was permanently closed in April 2023 for construction at the interchange. Off-ramp traffic is now exiting at the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange and following Aramingo Avenue north back to Bridge Street.
Section BS2 is the second of five contracts to reconstruct the interstate and improve the interchange at Bridge Street. PennDOT completed Section BS1 reconstruction to rebuild and widen I-95 pavement between Levick Street and Carver Street in early 2023.
During all upcoming work on Section BS2, three travel lanes in each direction will remain open during peak travel times, though periodic off-peak lane closures may be in place on I-95 during certain stages of construction operations. However, a number of different traffic patterns will be in place on the surface streets at the interchange (Bridge Street, Tacony Street, Aramingo Avenue) during BS2 construction.
James J. Anderson Construction, of Philadelphia, is the general contractor on Section BS2, which is valued at $268 million.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
For a complete list of construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, visit the District 6 Traffic Bulletin.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6.
Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at the PennDOT Projects page.