Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that the center section of the Interstate 95 bridge and the northbound off-ramp at the Cottman Avenue Interchange in Philadelphia will reopen this week following activities at night to remove the temporary northbound and southbound traffic patterns that have been in place during the 11-month reconstruction of the fire-damaged section of the interstate.
Motorists are advised of the following travel restrictions:
Wednesday, May 22, a left lane closure will be in place at 7:00 PM, followed by a double left lane closure at 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning on southbound I-95 between the Academy Road and Betsy Ross Bridge interchanges.
Thursday, May 23, a left lane closure will be in place at 7:00 PM, followed by a double left lane closure at 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning on northbound I-95 between the Betsy Ross Bridge and Academy Road interchanges.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work areas because backups and delays will occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.
During the nighttime activities, crews will remove temporary construction barriers and eradicate and repaint lane markings approaching and on the new bridge.
Traffic is expected to be fully restored to four through lanes on southbound I-95 by 5:00 AM Thursday, May 23. Traffic is expected to be fully restored to four through lanes on northbound I-95 by 5:00 AM Friday, May 24.
In addition, a single lane will reopen on the newly constructed ramp from northbound I-95 to Cottman Avenue by 5:00 AM Friday, May 24. The ramp will have enhanced traffic safety measures such as new signage and High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST). HFST is a treatment added to the top of a road surface that creates more friction on the pavement, helping keep vehicles in their lane and improving stopping distance around curves or other locations where wet pavement may contribute to crashes. HFST is a FHWA Every Day Counts innovation that Pennsylvania has implemented across Pennsylvania with data showing that the treatment decreases fatal and injury crashes where it is installed.
The new bridge and ramp replace the ones that were destroyed in a June 11, 2023 tanker truck crash and fire. I-95 traffic was restored to three lanes of traffic in each direction after a temporary roadway was constructed in the center of the interstate in just 12 days. The outer sections on the northbound and southbound sides of the bridge were then rebuilt before I-95 traffic was shifted from the temporary center lanes, onto the completed, outer sections of the new bridge last November.
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 www.projects.penndot.gov.
Follow PennDOT on X and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brad Rudolph, bradrudolph@pa.gov
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