PHILADELPHIA, PA — PennDOT is set to launch a massive, multi-year reconstruction of one of Philadelphia’s most critical highway crossings, with work beginning Monday, January 12, on the $261.5 million Interstate 95 Girard Point Bridge rehabilitation project.
The two-phase effort will overhaul the 5,183-foot, double-decked Girard Point Bridge and nine adjacent approach structures spanning the Schuylkill River and connecting Southwest Philadelphia to the region’s busiest transportation corridors. The project is part of PennDOT’s Bridge Preservation Program and is designed to extend the bridge’s service life well into the future.
Initial construction activities through mid-February 2026 will focus on mobilization and the construction of contractor access roads beneath I-95 between Enterprise Avenue and FDR Park Drive. PennDOT said no travel restrictions are planned during this early stage.
Once full construction ramps up later this winter, PennDOT will maintain three travel lanes in each direction on I-95. Officials said special coordination is underway to minimize traffic impacts tied to major regional events, including the FIFA World Cup and the MLB All-Star Game. More significant, long-term traffic pattern changes are expected to begin in late July 2026, when lane configurations maintaining three lanes during peak hours will be installed, with frequent off-peak and weekend restrictions coordinated around Sports Complex events.
Under Phases 1 and 2, crews will rehabilitate the bridge deck using a Latex Modified Concrete overlay, replace expansion joints and parapets, repair and paint sections of the steel superstructure, rehabilitate substructure concrete, upgrade lighting and drainage systems, install scour protection for the main river pier, and modernize Intelligent Transportation Systems along I-95.
Ten additional approach structures will be addressed under Phase 3, expected to begin after Phase 2 concludes. A future Phase 4, not yet scheduled, will focus on repainting the main bridge. PennDOT estimates the entire project will be completed in early 2031.
South State Inc. of Bridgeton, New Jersey, is serving as the general contractor for Phases 1 and 2. The project is funded with 90 percent federal and 10 percent state dollars.
With years of work ahead on one of the region’s most heavily traveled bridges, motorists are urged to stay informed as traffic patterns evolve. For real-time traffic conditions, lane restriction updates, and planning tools across Philadelphia and the surrounding region, readers are strongly encouraged to visit the MyChesCo Traffic Center before heading out.
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