Market Street ramp to I-95 South will close temporarily
The two-week closure is needed for work on a sewer improvement project.
The Market Street ramp onto I-95 South will soon close temporarily for planned sewer improvements.
The closure will take place from March 24 through April 6, according to an announcement from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation this week.
PennDot advises drivers to use the southbound Columbus Boulevard and the Morris Street ramp to get onto I-95 South during the closure. Motorists may also experience delays in the area of the closure and are advised by PennDot to account for extra travel time.
The work scheduled to take place on the sewer system is needed to “relieve a partial blockage,” Brian Rademaekers, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Water Department, said in an email Tuesday. Rademaekers noted that the “emergency work” requires excavation at the site. The department is not aware of any impact to customers.
Ongoing work nearby
Near the ramp closure, several projects have been proposed and construction is underway.
Work on the Park at Penn’s Landing began in September 2023 and is expected to take four to six years to build out, then-Mayor Jim Kenney said at the time. The project includes building a cap over a section of I-95 between Chestnut and Walnut Streets to reconnect the area with the waterfront.
A $16 million project to overhaul Market Street between Second and Sixth Streets began in December. Plans include reducing vehicle traffic to one lane in each direction and easing access for bicyclists and pedestrians. The aim is for the project to be complete by 2026, when Philadelphia will be marking the country’s 250th anniversary.
Last year, a plan to move the statue of Chief Tamanend from the intersection of Front and Market Streets, near the entrance of I-95 South, to a new plaza was stalled after a federally designated tribe objected to it. As of December, talks were still ongoing about the move, which is part of the proposed plans for the Market Street renovation.