The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is set to commence bridge repairs and additional construction activities next week on Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia, and these will be undertaken at nighttime, as per the latest announcement. While the maintenance work promises smoother rides ahead, drivers should brace for a slew of detours and lane closures.
Travel restrictions to expect include a single lane closure starting at 9:00 PM, followed by a double lane closure from 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM on northbound I-95 between the Cottman Avenue and Academy Road interchanges, scheduled for Monday, August 5, and Tuesday, August 6, for the installation of pavement reflectors, PennDOT reports. Similar closures will occur on southbound I-95 for the same reasons from August 5 to August 9. To add, drivers navigating southbound will encounter alternating left and right single lane closures between the Bridge Street and Betsy Ross Bridge interchanges for pavement repairs during the same hours.
The week-long construction stretch will also impel the closing of the ramp to southbound I-95 at the Bridge Street Interchange every night from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Those needing to access this section of the interstate will be rerouted via Aramingo Avenue to Adams Avenue. In addition, from the morning of Tuesday, August 6, to the afternoon of Friday, August 9, the ramp from Aramingo Avenue to both directions of I-95 at the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange will be closed for improvements. A detour via the nearby intersection of Aramingo Avenue and Adams Avenue is suggested for motorists.
Drivers are advised by PennDOT to allow for additional time when traveling through the impacted areas, as backups and delays are all but a certainty. It should be noted that the schedule for these activities is contingent on the weather. All of this is part of a broader initiative by PennDOT, a $37.4 million project targeting high-priority repairs on 27 I-95 bridges within the city, as per PennDOT's statement. Meanwhile, the intersection work falls under the nearly completed $93.6 million I-95 Section BR2 project, geared towards augmenting the connectivity of local streets and the bridge with I-95 at the Betsy Ross Bridge interchange.
