PennDOT announces opening of temporary off-ramp for Girard Ave. exchange

June 29, 2010

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation today announced that it has opened a new temporary off-ramp from Interstate 95 South at the Girard Avenue Interchange.

PennDOT says the temporary ramp will improve access to the waterfront north of Center City. Built immediately adjacent to the existing off-ramp, the new ramp takes southbound I-95 motorists directly to southbound Aramingo Avenue. All ramp traffic turns left at a new signalized intersection and crosses back under the interstate to an intersection with Delaware Avenue/Richmond Street.

The existing Girard Avenue off-ramp remains in service, taking southbound motorists directly to Girard Avenue. PennDOT built this temporary ramp under an $8.8 million project to improve travel through the I-95/Girard Avenue Interchange during upcoming work to rebuild the interchange and adjacent segments of I-95. Construction began last September.

The project also included the relocation of northbound Aramingo Avenue through the interchange area. Northbound Aramingo Avenue traffic was shifted onto the new, two-lane spur between Delaware Avenue/Richmond Street and York Street in late April. This project is the first of six separate contracts to move into construction as part of PennDOT’s $900 million program to improve the I-95/Girard Avenue Interchange, which includes rebuilding I-95 between Race Street and Allegheny Avenue.

Construction of the remaining five contracts will start at various times over the next seven years, with the next stage expected to go to construction in 2011. The James J. Anderson Construction Co., Inc. of Philadelphia was the general contractor on the $8,811,613 project that was financed with 90 percent federal and 10 percent state funds.

-Posted by Kellie Patrick Gates