Part of I-95 North in Philly is closing for a weekend. Here’s what to know.
PennDot warns there will be significant backups in Philadelphia the first weekend in February near Penn's Landing due to closures on I-95 North.
Planning on taking Interstate 95 North through Philadelphia the first weekend in February? You’ll need to find an alternate route.
All four lanes on northbound I-95 between Christopher Columbus Boulevard and I-676 will be closed from Saturday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m. through Monday, Feb. 5, at 5 a.m., PennDot announced.
I-95 South will remain open to traffic throughout the weekend.
If you need to get on I-95 North, access will be available at the ramp from Summer Street at Columbus just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Drivers can also take Columbus Boulevard north to the Girard Avenue/Aramingo interchange.
If you’re trying to get on I-676 East, PennDot suggests taking Columbus Boulevard to Spring Garden Street to Sixth Street access the highway. For access to I-676 West, take Spring Garden Street to Eighth Street. You can also take Columbus Boulevard and hop on I-95 South at Exit 23, which will then have access to I-676 West.
Regardless of the option you pick, traffic is likely to be heavy on any of the detour routes, so your best best is to avoid the area entirely if you can. Sixers fans with tickets to the Brooklyn Nets game on Feb. 3 at the Wells Fargo Center are encouraged to take public transit.
The closure is due to the $329 million project to create a nearly 12-acre park at Penn’s Landing over I-95. The weekend work will focus on the partial demolition of the existing concrete covering over I-95 between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, according to PennDot.
The park project is expected to be completed within the next four to six years. Once finished, the Park at Penn’s Landing will cover about four acres over I-95 between Chestnut and Walnut. And seven more acres will slope down to the waterfront from Columbus Boulevard; amenities planned include gardens, a cafe, a large pavilion, and an amphitheater.
This is the first of four planned closures on I-95. One more is planned for I-95 North, and two closures are planned for I-95 South. No dates for those closures have been announced, but PennDot said they would occur on weekends over the next few months.
PennDot spokesperson Brad Rudolph said the planned closures will accelerate the demolition time and limit the need for smaller closures and detours during the week.
“Each time we’re doing this, we’re shaving off some everyday kind of work. And I think that’s beneficial,” Rudolph told reporters Monday.
Here is a timeline for the lane closures on I-95 through Philadelphia the first weekend in February:
Saturday, Feb. 3, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m: One lane will be closed on I-95 North between Columbus Boulevard (Exit 20) and I-676 (Exit 22).
Saturday, Feb 3., at 6 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 5, at 5 a.m.: All three lanes of I-95 North will be closed from Exit 20 to Exit 22. Several ramps will also be closed, including:
Ramp to northbound I-95/I-676 from just north of Washington Avenue at Columbus Boulevard.
Ramp to northbound I-95 from Lombard Circle at Columbus Boulevard.
Ramp to northbound I-95 from westbound I-76 from New Jersey/Walt Whitman Bridge.
Ramp to northbound I-95 from Front Street.
» READ MORE: Inga Saffron: I-95 reconstruction is really a widening project that will hurt Philly neighborhoods