PENNDOT TO BEGIN PROJECT TO CONSTRUCT NEW I-95 ON-RAMP, IMPROVE SURFACE STREETS AT THE COTTMAN AVENUE INTERCHANGE IN PHILADELPHIA

March 26, 2022 – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that construction will begin Monday, April 4, on a project to construct a new ramp from Cottman Avenue (Route 73) to southbound Interstate 95 in the Tacony neighborhood of Philadelphia and perform roadway and utility improvements in the area of the interchange.

“We’re eager to advance this third and final contract to reconstruct and improve mainline I-95, the ramps and surface streets in the vicinity of the Cottman Avenue Interchange,” Acting PennDOT District 6 Executive Lou Belmonte said.

In addition to building a new ramp from Cottman Avenue to southbound I-95, PennDOT, the City of Philadelphia and project stakeholders identified additional improvements needed in the area to complete the I-95 Section CP3 project.

These improvements include:

• Reconstructing Wissinoming Street;
• Constructing left-turn lanes at the New State Road/Magee Avenue intersection;
• Improving pedestrian and bicycle facilities on Princeton Avenue;
• Constructing a retaining wall to support the new on-ramp;
• Upgrading traffic signals at the New State Road/Elbridge Street, New State Road/Magee Avenue, State Road/Princeton Avenue, and State Road/Cottman Avenue intersections;
• Constructing permanent speed tables on “Old” State Road;
• Removing abandoned rail sidings, resurfacing, and constructing additional sidewalks on Milnor Street;
• Performing landscape enhancements in the Milnor Street/Princeton Avenue area;
• Upgrading lighting to LED;
• Paving railroad siding area under the I-95/Bleigh Avenue overpass;
• Painting vertical concrete surfaces; and
• Relocating a sanitary sewer culvert.

Over the two years of construction that begins Monday, April 4, there will be periodic off-peak travel restrictions and pedestrian posted detours on surface streets around and approaching the I-95/Cottman Avenue Interchange, including New State Road and its intersections at Magee Avenue and Unruh Street, and State Road and its intersections with Cottman Avenue and Princeton Avenue. Construction to improve Elbridge Street and Levick Street at the Tacony Palmyra Bridge also will require periodic off-peak lane restrictions at those locations.

There will be archaeological monitoring during excavations for the sanitary sewer culvert. Vertical concrete surfaces, such as abutments, retaining walls and bridge barriers, that were not painted in the I-95 Section CP2 project, will be painted under this contract.

C. Abbonizio Contractors, Inc. of Sewell, N.J., is the general contractor on the $52.7 million project, which is financed with 100 percent federal funds. Construction on the entire project is expected to finish in spring 2024.