October 14, 2021 – With most of the structural components now in place, the concrete deck is being poured (see below) in sections this fall for the new replacement ramp from the Betsy Ross Bridge to southbound Interstate 95 at the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange.
Since BR2 construction started in mid-2020, the old ramp and its supports were removed (along with part of the ramp from the bridge to northbound I-95), new support piers have been built (see below-right), and deck beams and reinforcing steel have been set for the new ramp starting on the east side and rising over I-95’s mainline to a connection with the southbound interstate and Aramingo Avenue.
Concrete placement on the new ramp is now underway and will continue through the fall as weather conditions permit. Construction of this new ramp is anticipated to be completed in early spring 2022. Once completed, the ramp from Aramingo Avenue that connects to the ramp from the bridge to I-95 south will then be closed for reconstruction.
The ramp from the bridge to northbound I-95, which splits from the main ramp coming from the bridge, is also closed for reconstruction of the connection between the two ramps. The new connection will be supported by a new pier that is in place (see below-left), as well as a retaining wall along Juniata Street on the east side of I-95 that is currently under construction. Construction on this ramp will continue into 2022.
The ramps remain detoured through the interchange with Aramingo Avenue on the west side of I-95 until next spring.
Reconstruction of the ramp from northbound I-95 to the bridge also continues. The ramp — which also passes over the Frankford Creek — is being rebuilt a half-at-a-time and remains open to traffic.
The $93 million Section BR2 project, the second ramp replacement and interchange improvement contract at the interchange, is part of PennDOT’s larger initiative to rebuild the section of I-95 between Bridge Street and the Frankford Creek. The ramp projects will be followed by two contracts to rebuild I-95’s mainline pavement, overpasses, and structures: Section BR3, in line for northbound construction in 2023; Section BR4, projected for southbound construction in 2026.
The first ramp replacement contract, Section BR0, was completed in 2017. Additionally, ramps from the bridge and from Aramingo Avenue to northbound I-95 will be rebuilt under the Section BR3 project scheduled to begin in 2023. At the conclusion of BR3, the entire I-95/Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange will have been rebuilt to meet current and future traffic needs through 2050 and beyond.
When BR2 construction finishes in mid-2022, the ramps will be tied into improvements that were completed along Aramingo Avenue and Adams Avenue. Two additional contracts, Sections BR3 and BR4, will reconstruct almost a mile of I-95’s mainline between the Betsy Ross Bridge and Bridge Street interchanges.
