I-95 Section GIR (I-95/GIR)
I-95 between the Vine Street and Allegheny Avenue interchanges, including the Girard Avenue Interchange

Project Fact Sheet here

Status - Spring 2013
Construction on the second and third phases (Sections GR1, GR2) of the overall I-95/Girard Avenue Interchange Improvement Project are under way.  Phase one (Section GR0) construction finished in mid-2010. Phase two (Section GR1) began in late-2011. Phase three (Section GR 2) began construction in late 2012. Three additional sections of I-95/GIR are currently at various points of the Final Design stage of project development. They are being prepared for construction separately: GR3, GR4, GR5. Scroll down for details about each Section.

I-95, Section GR0 - Construction Completed
Construction Cost: $8.8 million    
General Contractor: James J. Anderson Construction, Philadelphia PA
Construction Start: September 2009    
Construction Completion: July 2010

Section Details 

• Construct a temporary off-ramp adjacent to the existing southbound off-ramp at Girard Avenue to provide access to Delaware Avenue;
• Reconstruct new lanes to carry northbound Aramingo Avenue on a new alignment between Delaware Avenue and York Street, including a spur that provides access to I-95 south; and
• Install drainage improvements and highway lighting, and relocate utilities.

I-95, Section GR1
Construction Cost: $91.3 million    
General Contractor: James J. Anderson Construction, Philadelphia, PA
Construction Start: November 2011    
Expected Completion: 2015

Section Details

• Reconstruct and widen Richmond Street on its existing alignment between Aramingo Avenue and Cumberland Street;
• Reconstruct and widen Richmond Street on a new alignment shifted east between Cumberland and Ann streets;
• Improve Richmond Street intersections at Cumberland, Sergeant, Huntingdon, Somerset, Cambria and Ann streets;
• Construct signalized intersections at Richmond Street and Lehigh Avenue and at Richmond Street and Girard Avenue;
• Include painted bike lanes on Richmond Street;
• Replace two Conrail bridges over Richmond Street near Lehigh Avenue with four separate railroad structures, reconstructing Conrail tracks and sidings;
• Reconstruct and rehabilitate the Girard Avenue bridge over the northbound Aramingo Avenue;
• Relocate utilities underground along Richmond Street and adjacent streets to the west;
• Reconstruct the SEPTA Route 15 trolley line along Girard Avenue and Richmond Street; and
• Deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) devices -- including arterial dynamic message signs (ADMS), traffic cameras, travel-time sensors, etc. -- along arterial routes adjacent to I-95 between the Broad Street and Betsy Ross Bridge interchanges to assist PennDOT and the City of Philadelphia during traffic and incident management operations.

SEPTA’s Route 15 trolley is being re-routed during construction between Frankford Avenue and Westmoreland Station using various bus routes.

I-95, Section GR2
Construction Cost: $39 million     
General Contractor: James J. Anderson Construction, Philadelphia, PA
Start Construction: Oct. 2012    
Construction Completion: 2015

Section Details

• Widen and reconstruct I-95 from south of Shackamaxon Street to north of Columbia Avenue to provide four through lanes in each direction and a fifth lane for ramp traffic entering and exiting I-95 between interchanges at Girard Avenue and Interstate 676;
• Replace I-95 bridges over Shackamaxon and Marlborough streets and Columbia Avenue;
• Construct five retaining walls to support embankments along I-95;
• Install sound walls on both sides of I-95 with clear acrylic panels at the top to preserve views of the river and views from surrounding neighborhoods;
• Relocate utilities underground along Marlborough Street;
• Deploy ITS devices along I-676 and I-95 to assist PennDOT and the City during traffic and incident management operations; and
• Build sustainable enhancements adjacent to and beneath I-95, including repurposed salvage for public art, low-maintenance landscaping, progressive storm water management devices, light-emitting diode (LED) street and underpass lighting, and thematic form-liners for decorative treatment of bridge abutment walls.

I-95, Section GR3
Start Construction: 2013 (projected)
Construction Completion: 2015 (projected)

Section Details

• Widen and reconstruct northbound I-95 from Columbia Avenue to north of Ann Street to provide four through lanes in each direction and a fifth lane for ramp traffic entering and exiting I-95 between interchanges at Girard Avenue and Allegheny Avenue;
• Reconstruct and relocate northbound on-off ramps at Girard Avenue;
• Replace four continuous northbound bridges carrying I-95 over Palmer-to-Ann streets and two northbound ramp bridges;
• Reconstruct Delaware Avenue between Columbia Avenue and Dyott Street;
• Construct three retaining walls to support embankments along I-95;
• Complete construction of the northbound sound wall, started in Section GR2, to just north of Columbia Avenue;
• Construct direct outfalls to the Delaware River to support PennDEP (Department of Environmental Protection) and Philadelphia Water Department initiatives to separate storm and sanitary runoffs;
• Temporarily realign the intersection at Delaware and Aramingo avenues;
• Construct signalized intersection at Columbia and Aramingo avenue;
• Relocate utilities underground along Delaware Avenue;
• Build sustainable enhancements adjacent to and beneath I-95, including low-maintenance landscaping, progressive storm water management devices, public spaces, LED street and understructure lighting and thematic form-liners for decorative treatment of bridge abutment walls; and
• Install ITS devices along I-95 within the project limits and along adjacent regional routes to assist PennDOT and the City during traffic and incident management operations.
   

I-95, Section GR4
Start Construction: 2016 (projected)
End Construction: 2019 (projected)

Section Details

• Widen and reconstruct southbound I-95 from Columbia Avenue to north of Ann Street to provide four through lanes in each direction and a fifth lane for ramp traffic entering and exiting I-95 between interchanges at Girard Avenue and Allegheny Avenue;
• Reconstruct southbound on-off ramps at Girard Avenue;
• Replace four continuous southbound bridges carrying I-95 over Palmer-to-Ann streets, two southbound ramp bridges, and southbound Aramingo Avenue over Girard Avenue ramps;
• Construct a temporary detour road to carry ramp traffic during construction;
• Relocate utilities underground along Aramingo Avenue;
• Construct retaining walls to support embankments along I-95;
• Install sound walls along southbound I-95 and Aramingo Avenue;
• Build sustainable enhancements adjacent to and beneath I-95, including low-maintenance landscaping, progressive storm water management devices, public spaces, LED street and understructure lighting, and thematic form-liners for decorative treatment of bridge abutment walls;
• Install Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) devices (TBD).

I-95, Section GR5
Start Construction: 2017 (projected)
Complete Construction: 2020 (projected)

Section Details

• Widen and reconstruct I-95 northbound and southbound between Race Street and Shackamaxon Street ;
• Reconstruct and widen I-676/Vine Street ramp connections with I-95 northbound and southbound;
• Rehabilitate or replace I-95 bridges over Race Street, Callowhill Street, Spring Garden Street, Fairmount Avenue, Brown Street, and Ellen Street-to-Frankford Avenue;
• Construct retaining walls to support embankments along I-95;
• Realign sections of Poplar, New Market, Front and Laurel streets at I-95;
• Construct retaining walls to support embankments;
• Install sound walls along northbound and southbound I-95 (TBD);
• Build sustainable enhancements adjacent to and beneath I-95 (TBD);
• Relocate utilities (TBD);
• Install Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) devices (TBD).