New Ramps from I-95/Betsy Ross Bridge Planned

[PHLBOS]

This plan will use a very small piece of the long-dead Pulaski/Tacony Expressway corridor.

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130409_Betsy_Ross_ramps_to_the_Northeast_planned.html

Article Exerpt:

Though the new Betsy Ross ramps will not provide the grand connection to Roosevelt Boulevard and Route 309 envisioned 50 years ago, there is an echo of the Pulaski Expressway in the new project. The Betsy Ross ramps will provide direct connections to and from Aramingo Avenue and to a planned extension of Adams Avenue to link I-95 to Torresdale Avenue.

The $160 million ramp project is slated to go to bid in summer 2014, said Charles Davies, assistant district executive/design for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Construction, expected to start in early 2015, would take about three years.

[Alps]

So, um, does this mean that the overpass over I-95 will finally be built? That was one of the stupidest parts of the cancellation, as it would have taken nothing to just connect the freeway to the surface streets there instead of making it so difficult for locals to use it. Any other sort of "ramps" would just be unnecessary expense compared to the overpass.

[PHLBOS]

Steve, guess on my part but the reasoning for not extending the overpass over I-95 and onto the local streets may been due to one or both of the following:

1.  The land aquisition for the right-of-way west of I-95 had not taken/never took place.

2.  While the bridge itself and the lead-in viaducts were a DRPA project, the interchange w/I-95 and westward was a PennDOT deal only.  Note: the old (& new) BGS' along the mainline corridor west of the bridge are DRPA's but the old BGS' at the I-95 North/South split are PennDOT spec'd.

[jeffandnicole]

http://www.95revive.com/docs/-I-95%20BRIBSR_071408.pdf

Per that site, yes, the missing overpass will finally be built.

[PHLBOS]

http://www.95revive.com/docs/-I-95%20BRIBSR_071408.pdf

Per that site, yes, the missing overpass will finally be built.

Thanks for the info.

[SteveG1988]

Well, i never thought it would happen, good for them..honestly using something that has been there since the 70s in a useful way rather than tearing it all down and rebuilding.

Somebody better go check hell to see if the devil is ice skating to work.

[PHLBOS]

From the earlier-posted Inquirer article regarding the old/unused ramps:

The old ramp stubs will be removed as part of the new construction.

"They're 40 years old, and they don't meet current codes," Shultes said.

The new bridge ramps will provide some of the access that was proposed then, without the widespread destruction of homes and businesses that would have accompanied the expressway.

My guess is that the old ramps will be replaced w/new ramps in the same general location.

[Chris19001]

That seems a pretty steep price for such a small incremental improvement.  Boy, that expressway sure would have made getting around the region a whole lot easier by bypassing Center City and offering alternatives to I-95 south.  I guess it's good that something will be built though.  (albeit later than logic would dictate)

[SteveG1988]

From the earlier-posted Inquirer article regarding the old/unused ramps:

The old ramp stubs will be removed as part of the new construction.

"They're 40 years old, and they don't meet current codes," Shultes said.

The new bridge ramps will provide some of the access that was proposed then, without the widespread destruction of homes and businesses that would have accompanied the expressway.

My guess is that the old ramps will be replaced w/new ramps in the same general location.

If you look at 95 revive it looks like they will be reconfiguring the entire stub end, perhaps narrowing it down.

[jwolfer]

At least something new is getting built.  I would like to see a freeway connection to I-295 and the NJTP on the New Jersey side.  It will never happen.  but it would improve access to Philly from the North and East

[_Simon]

1.  The land aquisition for the right-of-way west of I-95 had not taken/never took place.

Then it should take place now.  I'm really starting to get pissed off by states' determination to work everything into the ROW that was cleared in the 60s and 70s.  It's like every project either has no new ROW, or it's a converted parking lot or driveway.