Core Borings at Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange

February 28, 2010 - Nighttime lane closures will be in place for two weeks beginning Sunday, Feb. 28, on northbound and southbound I-95 in Philadelphia for core-boring operations related to the project to rebuild the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue Interchange (I-95/BRI) and adjacent sections of the interstate.

The work will be conducted in the inside and outside shoulder areas and the adjacent lane of I-95 near the Interchange. The contractor's schedule is as follows:

• I-95 Northbound: Sunday, Feb. 28 through Thursday, March 4, from 10 p.m. each evening until 5 a.m. the following morning.
• I-95 Southbound: Senday, March 7 until Thursday, March 11, from 10 p.m. each evening until 5 a.m. the following morning.

All activities are weather permitting.

Under the I-95/BRI project, which is currently in the Preliminary Engineering phase, PennDOT will improve the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue interchange and widen and reconstruct I-95 and its bridges from Orthodox Street to Wheatsheaf Lane. This .8 mile section of I-95 runs from just south of Bridge Street through the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange.

Preliminary Engineering, which is expected to be completed in mid-2010, will be followed by at least two years of Final Design activities. Construction will be scheduled to begin at the completion of Final Design.

The I-95/BRI project is currently estimated to cost approximately $350 million.

For more information on PennDOT’s initiative to reconstruct and improve I-95 and its bridges and interchanges north of Center City Philadelphia, go to www.95revive.com.

 

Bridge Inspection at Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange Ramps

August 17, 2009 -- Engineering crews will be active along the elevated ramps at the I-95 Betsy Ross/Aramingo Avenue Interchange conducting structure inspections as part of the design activities for the project to improve the interchange and reconstruct the adjacent sections of the interstate.

Inspection crews will work Mondays through Fridays during daylight hours through the end of August at the following ramps:
•    I-95 north to Betsy Ross Bridge.
•    Betsy Ross Bridge to I-95 south.
•    Aramingo Avenue to I-95 south.
•    Aramingo Avenue to I-95 north.
•    Betsy Ross Bridge to I-95 north.
•    I-95 south to Aramingo Avenue.

The inspections will be conducted from the shoulders and are not expected to impact the flow of traffic on the ramps.
 

Field Surveying Under Way on Aramingo Ave for I-95/Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange Project

June 8, 2009 -- Surveying crews will be active along Aramingo Avenue near the I-95 interchange for the Betsy Ross Bridge in Philadelphia for several months beginning Monday, June 8. The surveying activity is being done as part of the Preliminary Engineering phase of the project to reconstruct the interchange and I-95 (I-95/BRI) in the vicinity of the interchange.

Surveying contractors will be on site during normal daytime working hours along Aramingo Avenue and several intersecting streets between Wheatsheaf Lane and Margaret Street.

All of the activities will take place within the public rights-of-way or at locations on private property where property owners have been notified in advance by PennDOT Intent to Enter letters that were mailed to affected owners.

Minor traffic disruptions may occur during these operations, which are expected to conclude in August.

Data from the surveys will be used in the design of roadway, structure and ramp improvements at the interchange.

In addition to reconstructing approximately one mile of I-95 and more than a dozen bridges and other structures within the work zone, the I-95/BRI project will improve ramp access and surface road traffic flow at the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue Interchange.

Other I-95/BRI improvements include
•    Construction of an extension of Adams Avenue to connect with Aramingo Avenue.
•    Construction of new ramps connecting directly to and from Aramingo Avenue and I-95 and the Betsy Ross Bridge.
•    Closing the existing on-ramp from Aramingo Avenue at Buckius Street to I-95 South.
•    Construction of a new off-ramp from I-95 North to Orthodox Street to provide access to Aramingo Avenue.
•    Closing the existing off-ramp from I-95 North to Harbison Avenue and Bridge Street.

Preliminary Engineering, which is expected to be completed in mid-2010, will be followed by at least two years of Final Design activities. Construction will be scheduled to begin at the completion of Final Design.

The I-95/BRI project is currently estimated to cost approximately $350 million.

For more information on PennDOT’s initiative to reconstruct and improve I-95 and its bridges and interchanges north of Center City Philadelphia, go to www.95revive.com.
 

 

I-95 Section BRI (I-95/BRI)
Bridge Street Interchange through the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange

Under this project, PennDOT will improve the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue interchange and widen and reconstruct I-95 and its bridges from Orthodox Street to Wheatsheaf Lane. This .8 mile section of I-95 runs from just south of Bridge Street through the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange.

Status

I-95 BSR and I-95 BRI are currently progressing together through the Preliminary Engineering phase of project development. During this phase, conceptual plans are drawn up, traffic models are developed and all of the required preliminary studies (environmental, historical, archaeological, etc.) studies are completed.

The timeframe for completing Preliminary Engineering varies according to the complexity of the engineering that is required to attain the project's design goals and the potential impacts that the improvements will have on the natural, historical and sociological environments of the project area.

A Point of Access Study (POA) -- which looked in detail at how the existing ramp and ramp access system functions and what changes are needed to improve traffic flow to, from and around the Bridge Street and Betsy Ross Bridge interchanges -- was completed in 2008. The Study, one of the tasks of Preliminary Engineering, gives engineers the direction they need to complete to complete this  phase of project development.

On completion and approval of the various components of the Preliminary Engineering stage by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the various local, state and federal agencies involved in the review process, the projects will advance separately to the Final Design stage in fall 2010.

During Final Design, construction plans and specifications are drawn up, numerous permits are secured and construction funding is identified and earmarked. Once all of the details of construction are in place, the project is placed on PennDOT's letting schedule, which announces the project to the contracting community. Final Design for a project of this size generally takes two-to-three years to complete.

In the Construction stage, PennDOT solicits prospective contractors to submit sealed bids to complete the work as outlined in the plans and specifications. PennDOT then lets the project, conducting a public session where all submitted bids are opened. Following this letting, agency specialists review the bid documents and award a contract to the lowest qualified bidder.  Work begins work when PennDOT issues an official Notice to Proceed to the selected contractor.