Penn’s Landing park over I-95 in Philly is taking shape. Here’s what to know

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A busy section of I-95 in Philadelphia is set to reopen by the end of next week after more than a month of overnight closures, according to PennDOT.

Since early June, the southbound stretch has been closed to motorists Sunday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to facilitate work on a massive new highway cap.

When completed, the cap will be home to nearly 12 acres of parkland and seamlessly connect Old City to the Delaware River waterfront at Penn’s Landing.

Crews are currently building out the first third of the cap, which covers I-95 South between Chestnut and Walnut streets. That section of the highway will reopen after some finishing touches are completed.

“They’re basically fastening everything together and bolting everything down, rechecking bolts, inspecting bolts and making sure everything’s good when we reopen I-95 South,” said PennDOT spokesperson Brad Rudolph.

Work will then start on the second section of the cap, which will sit above I-95 North. For now, those lanes will remain open to drivers as PennDOT installs the foundation for the next segment.

The third and final section will conceal part of Columbus Boulevard.

PennDOT expects the entire cap to be completed in 2029. As part of the $329 million project, the department is also extending the South Street pedestrian bridge down to the waterfront, an effort expected to wrap up in 2027.

“We have a lot more construction to do,” Rudolph said. “It’s a long undertaking but it will certainly be worth it in the end.”

Under a separate contract, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, or DRWC, will partner with the city to build on the new park, about a third of which will sit over I-95 and Columbus Boulevard. The contract has not been finalized yet.

The green roof will feature a “natural woodlands” playground, cafe space and a reconstructed amphitheater, among other amenities. The Blue Cross RiverRink will also be relocated on the cap.

The park is expected to take about a year to complete, meaning it could open to the public in 2030.

“I think it becomes a citywide and even regional asset. And starts setting the stage for even more quality development,” said Joe Forkin, president of DRWC, when construction started in 2023.

The cap project is a decade in the making and the largest piece of a master plan for the Delaware River waterfront, an effort that includes Spruce Street Harbor Park and Cherry Street Pier.