I-95/GIR FACT SHEET Interstate 95 Sectin GIR - Girard Avenue Interchange Imprvement Prject City f Philadelphia WHAT PennDOT has mved fur f six cntracts t cnstructin t rebuild three miles f Interstate 95 frm Race Street t just suth f Allegheny Avenue and recnstruct the interchange at Girard Avenue in Philadelphia. TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST The ttal cnstructin cst t rebuild I-95 in the area f the Girard Avenue Interchange is estimated at ver $900 millin. I-95 GIR IMPROVEMENT PLAN Rebuilding three miles f I-95 t eliminate lane drps at the Girard Avenue Interchange and prvide fur cntinuus lanes in each directin. The first f fur mainline cnstructin phases began in 2012 and the entire prgram is expected t finish in 2025. Under these phases, PennDOT will replace and rehabilitate aging bridges n I-95 that were built in the mid-t-late 1960s. Bridges cmprise apprximately tw miles f the prject s three-mile length. In additin, an auxiliary lane will be prvided in each directin t cnnect entrance and exit ramps with I-95 between the interchanges at I-676, Girard Avenue and Allegheny Avenue. I-95 s existing shulder widths als will be replaced with full-width shulders alng mst f the highway. The Girard Avenue Interchange will be recnfigured t imprve access, peratin and safety. BRIDGE REPLACEMENTS PennDOT will replace r rehabilitate 30 mainline bridges alng the three miles f I-95; replace fur bridges n ramps at the Girard Avenue Interchange; replace tw bridges n adjacent lcal streets; and recnstruct fur Cnrail bridges ver relcated Richmnd Street. INTERCHANGE IMPROVEMENT The Girard Avenue Interchange will be recnfigured t imprve access, peratin and safety beginning in 2014 and cntinuing thrugh later phases f cnstructin. The cnfiguratin f the I-95/I-676 Interchange will nt change, but the I-676 Nrth n-ramp and I-95 Suth ff-ramp will be widened by ne lane t imprve capacity and peratin at the interchange. N existing interchange mves will be eliminated and access will be maintained t all surface streets. Pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities alng Delaware Avenue, Richmnd Street, Araming Avenue and Girard Avenue will be enhanced as
part f this prject and will cmplement the city s apprved Waterfrnt Master Plan by imprving neighbrhd cnnectins t the Delaware River. In June 2010, PennDOT pened a temprary ramp t prvide direct access frm I-95 Suth t Delaware Avenue and reduce thrugh traffic in the neighbrhds. SUSTAINABLE ACTION COMMITTEE (SAC) PennDOT frmed a Sustainable Actin Cmmittee (SAC) fr the I-95 Girard Avenue Interchange Prject t integrate grund-level imprvements identified by varius Delaware River waterfrnt planning initiatives. The SAC is cmprised f cmmunity and business grups, nn-prfit rganizatins and public agencies active in the prject area. The grups advise PennDOT n hw t sften the barrier created by the I-95 s riginal cnstructin, t recnnect cmmunities t the waterfrnt, create new public spaces, and incrprate green infrastructure int the design. I-95 Sectin GR0 I-95 GR0 (Cmpleted): In 2009-10, PennDOT built a temprary ff-ramp frm I-95 Suth at the Girard Avenue Interchange t imprve access between the highway and the waterfrnt area alng Delaware Avenue. The ramp takes suthbund I-95 drivers directly t suthbund Araming Avenue, frm which mtrists can reach Delaware Avenue. This $8.8 millin prject als included the relcatin f nrthbund Araming Avenue thrugh the Girard Avenue Interchange. I-95 Sectin GR1 I-95 GR1 (In Cnstructin): PennDOT s cntractr, James J. Andersn Cnstructin Cmpany, Inc. f Philadelphia, started wrk in Dec. 2011 n a $91.3 millin cntract t imprve Richmnd Street and Girard Avenue, replace bridges and relcate several majr utility lines near the I-95 Girard Avenue Interchange in preparatin fr the ultimate recnstructin and widening f mainline I-95 in future phases. This cntract is scheduled t finish in 2016. This cntract is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds. Crews will: Recnstruct and widen Richmnd Street n its existing alignment between Araming Avenue and Cumberland Street; Recnstruct and widen Richmnd Street n a new alignment t the east between Cumberland and Ann streets; Replace tw large Cnrail bridges ver Richmnd Street near Lehigh Avenue with fur new structures and new Cnrail tracks at the Prt Richmnd yard; Replace the superstructure n the Girard Avenue bridge ver nrthbund Araming Avenue; Relcate critical utilities alng Richmnd Street and adjacent streets t the west;
Imprve intersectins n Richmnd Street at Girard Avenue, Cumberland Street, Sergeant Street, Huntingdn Street, Lehigh Avenue, Smerset Street, Cambria Street and Ann Street; Cnstruct Richmnd Street streetscape enhancements that cnsist f street trees, strm water tree vaults, meadw grass, LED street lights, green-painted bicycle lanes, and new retaining walls with aesthetic treatments alng Cnrail prperty; and Deply Intelligent Transprtatin Systems (ITS) cmpnents -- dynamic message signs, highway cameras, incident detectrs and travel-time sensrs -- alng arterial rutes adjacent t I-95 between the Brad Street and Betsy Rss Bridge interchanges. I-95 Sectin GR2 I-95 GR2 (In Cnstructin): Cnstructin began in Octber 2012 n the $39,259,503 prject t rebuild 1,200 feet f I-95 suth f the Girard Avenue Interchange. This cntact will finish in 2015. James J. Andersn Cnstructin Cmpany, Inc. f Philadelphia is the general cntractr. The prject includes: Widening and rebuilding 1,200 feet f I-95 frm suth f Shackamaxn Street t nrth f Clumbia Avenue t prvide fur lanes in each directin and a fifth auxiliary lane fr future ramp traffic entering and exiting I-95 between the Girard Avenue and Interstate 676; Demlishing and rebuilding I-95 bridges ver Shackamaxn Street, Marlbrugh Street and Clumbia Avenue; Building five retaining walls t supprt embankments; Cnstructing three verhead sign structures; Installing sund walls with clear acrylic panels at the tp t preserve views f the river and views frm surrunding neighbrhds; and Building sustainable enhancements adjacent t and beneath I-95, including public art, lwmaintenance landscaping, prgressive strm water management devices, LED street and underpass lighting, and thematic frm-liners fr decrative treatment f bridge abutment walls. I-95 Sectin GR3 I-95 GR 3 (Starting Cnstructin): Cnstructin is starting in spring 2014 n the $211.7 millin cntract t recnstruct and widen nrthbund I-95 frm Clumbia Avenue t nrth f Ann Street in multiple stages. The prject is scheduled t finish in summer 2018. This cntract includes the clsure and recnstructin f the nrthbund Girard Avenue Interchange ramps. The existing nrthbund I-95 fframp will remain pen until the new ff-ramp is cmpleted, which eliminates a detur fr this mve. The nrthbund n-ramp will be clsed and detured during cnstructin. The prject includes: Demlitin and recnstructin f several bridges, including: I-95 NB ver Palmer Street t Cumberland Street;
I-95 NB ver Cumberland Street t Lehigh Avenue; I-95 NB ver Lehigh Avenue t Ann Street; I-95 NB ff-ramp (Ramp E); and I-95 NB n-ramp (Ramp A). Cnstructin f three retaining walls and numerus signs structures; Delaware Avenue recnstructin between Clumbia and Araming avenues; Cnstructin f tw new direct utfall pipes t separate strm water t the Delaware River; Installatin f sund walls; Recnfiguratin f the intersectin f Delaware Avenue, Richmnd Street and Araming Avenue; Relcatin f the median parking lt near Clumbia Avenue t the west side f Delaware Avenue while creating public spaces; Installatin f LED street lights n Delaware Avenue and the new parking area at Clumbia Avenue; Planting street trees alng Delaware Avenue and landscaping the median and the new parking area with species native t the area and tlerant f the urban envirnment; Relcating critical utilities alng Delaware Avenue and adjacent city streets; and Incrprating thematic frm liners n abutment and retaining wall surfaces. I-95 Sectin GR4 I-95 GR 4 (In Design): Cnstructin is expected t begin in apprximately fur years t recnstruct and widen suthbund I-95 frm Clumbia Avenue t nrth f Ann Street in multiple stages. This cntract includes the clsure and rebuilding f the suthbund Girard Avenue Interchange ramps. Specifically, this phase will include demlitin and recnstructin f the fllwing bridges: I-95 SB ver Lehigh Avenue t Ann Street I-95 SB ver Cumberland Street t Lehigh Avenue I-95 SB ver Palmer Street t Cumberland Street I-95 SB ff-ramp t Girard Avenue I-95 SB ff-ramp t Araming Avenue SB and Delaware Avenue I-95 SB n-ramp Araming Avenue SB ver Ramp B, Girard Avenue and Spur A This phase als includes the cmpletin f surface street tie-ins with the suthbund ramps; cnstructin f retaining walls and sund walls; imprvement f Araming Avenue between Delaware Avenue and Cumberland Street; LED underpass and understructure lighting; thematic frm liners n structure surfaces; and the creatin f an extensive strm water management park within the interchange and beneath I-95.
I-95 Sectin GR5 I-95 GR5 (In Design): Cnstructin is expected t start in apprximately five t six years t recnstruct, rehabilitate and widen I-95 between Race Street and Shackamaxn Street in multiple stages. This cntract will include the recnstructin f the nrthern ramp cnnectins between I-95 and I-676, and the imprvement f the fllwing bridges: I-95 NB ver Race Street (bridge deck replacement and rehabilitatin); I-95 NB ver Callwhill Street (bridge deck replacement); I-95 SB ver Race Street (bridge deck replacement and rehabilitatin); I-95 SB ver Callwhill Street (bridge deck replacement); I-95 ver Spring Garden Street (bridge superstructure replacement, rehabilitatin and widening); I-95 ver Fairmunt Avenue (cmplete replacement); I-95 ver Brwn Street (cmplete replacement); and I-95 ver Ellen Street t Frankfrd Avenue (superstructure replacement, rehabilitatin and widening) This phase als includes building retaining walls, sund walls and new pavement. An earlier stage f this cntract may include surface street relcatin wrk alng Pplar Street, New Market Street, Frnt Street and Laurel Street t make rm fr I-95 imprvements. TRAFFIC VOLUME I-95 in the area f the Girard Avenue Interchange is ne f the mst heavily traveled stretches f I-95 in Pennsylvania, presently carrying apprximately 160,000 vehicles per day. The prjected traffic vlume in 2030 is apprximately 228,000 vehicles a day. SEPTA TROLLEY SERVICE SEPTA s Rute 15 trlley has been temprarily remved frm Girard Avenue thrugh Richmnd Street fr cnstructin. Busses are nw being used t service Rute 15 riders during cnstructin. Fr mre transit infrmatin visit www.septa.rg. May 2014