The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that the ramp from northbound Interstate 95 to Bridge Street/Harbison Avenue (Exit 27) will close permanently tonight, April 27, under the $267.9 million Section BS2 project to reconstruct the viaduct over Bridge and Tacony streets along with the adjacent sections of I-95, improve the interchange, and enhance traffic movement and safety on surface streets at the interchange in Northeast Philadelphia.
Motorists are advised of the following travel restrictions:
- Thursday, April 27, from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, two lanes on northbound I-95 between the Betsy Ross Bridge and Bridge Street interchanges, plus the ramp to northbound I-95 from Aramingo Avenue and the Betsy Ross Bridge, will be closed for preparations to close the Exit 27 ramp. Motorists will be detoured north on Aramingo Avenue, right on Tacony Street, then right on Bridge street to the ramp to northbound I-95;
- Thursday, April 27, beginning at or after 9:00 PM, the northbound I-95 ramp to Bridge Street (Exit 27) will close permanently. Motorists heading to Bridge Street/Harbison Avenue (Exit 27) from northbound I-95 or the Betsy Ross Bridge will begin using the ramp to Aramingo Avenue (Exit 26 on I-95 North) and follow Aramingo Avenue north to Bridge Street/Harbison Avenue; and
- Friday, April 28, from 9:00PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, one lane will be closed on northbound I-95 between the Betsy Ross Bridge and Bridge Street interchanges along with the ramp to northbound I-95 from Aramingo Avenue and the Betsy Ross Bridge for barrier placement. Motorists will be detoured north on Aramingo Avenue, right on Tacony Street, then right on Bridge street to the ramp to northbound I-95.
Additional lane restrictions planned on I-95 include:
- Sunday, April 30, through Friday, May 5, from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, a lane closure will be in place on the southbound I-95 Vine Street Expressway off-ramp (Exit 22) for core borings;
- Monday, May 1, through Wednesday, May 3, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, alternating left and right lane closures will be in place in both directions on I-95 between the Walt Whitman Bridge and Richmond Street for surveying;
- Monday, May 1, through Friday, May 5, and Monday, May 8, through Wednesday, May 10, from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, a right lane closure will be in place on northbound I-95 between the Bridge Street and Cottman Avenue interchanges for overhead sign and highway lighting installation. The southbound I-95 shoulder also may be closed during these operations; and
- Monday, May 1, through Monday, May 15, Bath Street, located at the bottom of the off-ramp from northbound I-95 at the Allegheny Avenue Interchange (Exit 25), will be closed between Allegheny Avenue and E. Westmoreland Street for reconstruction. Traffic from the northbound I-95 off-ramp normally turning right and heading for Allegheny Avenue will be detoured west on E. Westmoreland Street to northbound Richmond Street, then east on Castor Avenue and north on Delaware Avenue to Allegheny Avenue. Ramp traffic heading to Richmond Street will continue to turn left onto E. Westmoreland Street.
Following the completion of barrier placement on Friday, April 28, access to northbound I-95 from Aramingo Avenue and from the Betsy Ross Bridge will be restored to motorists.
The Exit 27 northbound off-ramp is being closed permanently for construction of a retaining wall along the northbound side of I-95 approaching the viaduct over Bridge and Tacony streets. That wall will help support temporary widening of the interstate for a traffic pattern that will maintain six lanes of traffic — three northbound, three southbound — during three-plus years of construction to replace the viaduct and rebuild the interchange under the Section BS2 contract.
Work continues in the I-95 median south of Bridge Street to build a crossover for the new pattern. Construction to replace the southbound side of the viaduct is scheduled to begin in early 2024. Replacement of the northbound side of the viaduct will follow.
Improvements already in place at the Betsy Ross Bridge interchange were designed to replace the closed Bridge Street ramp and improve safety and mobility at the currently congested merge point between the ramp and surface streets at the existing Bridge Street Interchange.
During construction from 2017 to 2020, Aramingo Avenue was widened between Wheatsheaf Lane and Church Street (Section BS4), and the Adams Avenue Connector was constructed (Section H04).
Reconstruction of I-95 immediately north of Bridge Street (Section BS1) is in its final stages and is expected to finish this summer. Traffic patterns and other activities on Sections BS1 and BS2 will be coordinated by PennDOT’s Construction Managers.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for travel through all I-95 work areas.
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