January 19, 2022 – 
Reconstruction of northbound Interstate 95 at the northern end of the Bridge Street Interchange in Philadelphia wrapped up in late 2021, substantially completing the first major stage of work on PennDOT’s $79.7 million Section BS1 Project. A new work zone traffic pattern was established and traffic was moved to the rebuilt northbound side (see right) in January as the project shifted to the southbound side, the project’s second major stage.
Construction crews over the last quarter of 2021 completed placement of more than one mile of new concrete paving to rebuild and widen northbound I-95 between Carver Street and Levick Street. Work also finished on the long series of retaining walls that support the I-95 embankments along Tacony Street, and on new northbound bridges over Comly Street and Van Kirk Street.
The completed northbound work — which also included extensive improvements to I-95’s stormwater drainage system — marks the approximate halfway mark for rebuilding I-95 at the northern end of the Bridge Street Interchange. Reconstruction of the southbound lanes is expected to compete Section BS1 Project in early 2023 The southern portion of I-95 at Bridge Street, including the interchange’s ramps, will be rebuilt under Section BS2, which is expected to begin shortly after completion of BS1.
New southbound bridges over Comly and Van Kirk streets will be built during the southbound phase as well. New retaining walls will be built to support southbound widening adjacent to the Amtrak Northeast Corridor rail lines between Leveck and Carver streets.
A new storm sewer was installed at Levick Street from Barnett Street to the Delaware River in 2021 with the final paving and restorations to the Lardner’s Point Park Trail being completed in late 2021. The final landscaping along the trail and the banks of the Delaware River will be completed in the Spring of 2022.
Southbound and northbound I-95 are reduced to three lanes each from just south of the Cottman Avenue Interchange through the Bridge Street exit during this stage and future stages of the three-year BS1 project. Three travel lanes in each direction will remain open during peak travel times, though periodic off-peak lane closures may be in place on I-95 during certain stages of construction operations.
All on and off-ramps at the Bridge Street Interchange will remain open during BS1 construction.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for travel through the work areas.
Section BS1 is the first of two contracts to reconstruct mainline I-95 at the Bridge Street Interchange. A second mainline reconstruction project at the interchange, Section BS2, is currently in design and will move to construction following completion of Section BS1 in late 2022.
The H&K Group, Inc. of Skippack, Montgomery County, is the project’s general contractor.
