May 12, 2020 – Construction on the surface streets at the Interstate 95/Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange has resumed following the COVID-19 shutdown in early spring, with the contractor returning to complete improvements to Aramingo Avenue between Wheatsheaf Lane and Church Street and finish rebuilding the ramp connecting Aramingo Avenue to I-95.
Work on this project is proceeding in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, special signage and relevant training.
Work on the northbound side of Aramingo Avenue includes construction of the east (northbound) half of the bridge over the Frankford Creek. Crews over the winter completed both bridge abutments on the northbound side and will finish the center pier prior to setting deck beams later this spring.
Construction also continues to replace the two lanes of northbound pavement on Aramingo Avenue. Northbound construction, expected to be completed in May, will be followed by a short period of center area work on Aramingo Avenue to finish the median and the new turn lanes to the Adams Avenue Connector, ramps to I-95 and the bridge, and Church Street.
Aramingo Avenue is being widened to include four lanes between Wheatsheaf Lane and the new intersection with the under-construction Adams Avenue Connector. The widening expands to six lanes from Adams Avenue to Church Street to accommodate right and left turns.
Also at the interchange work area, construction is underway on ramps connecting Aramingo Avenue and Adams Avenue to I-95 and the Betsy Ross Bridge.
Adams Avenue Connector
Construction of the new Adams Avenue Connector is substantially completed and awaiting final paving in late spring. The new, half-mile-long roadway between Torresdale Avenue and the interchange will connect to Aramingo Avenue at a new signalized intersection at the completion of work. It also will tie into the new and rebuilt ramps to and from I-95 and the Betsy Ross Bridge at that time.
A section of a new multi-use trail has been built adjacent to the Connector. It starts at a decorative plaza with stained stamped concrete, protective bollards, and LED lighting under the railroad overpass at the Torresdale/Adams intersection and winds along the tree-line Connector to a decorative terminus at Aramingo Avenue. The trail will ultimately connect to and become part of the Frankford Creek Greenway.
Improvements along Torresdale Avenue between Frankford Avenue and Adams Avenue have been substantially completed as part of the Adams Avenue Connector improvements, including new water mains and sidewalks. Torresdale Avenue will be milled and repaved between Hunting Park Avenue and Auth Street this spring to complete the improvements to Torresdale Avenue under the Connector project.
PennDOT is reconstructing, extending, and improving both Adams Avenue and Aramingo Avenue to improve connections between the I-95 interchanges at Bridge Street and the Betsy Ross Bridge. The work is being done under an $81 million contract to jointly improve both roads.
A second contract to improve Aramingo Avenue between Church Street and Tacony Street will be built during the later stages of the Bridge Street Interchange Improvement Project (I-95/BSR).
A second contract to improve the ramps at the I-95/Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange (I-95/BR2) gets underway this spring.
