PHILADELPHIA, PA — Drivers on Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia should prepare for several nights of closures and detours as PennDOT finishes setting up a major new traffic pattern that will remain in place for about two years.
At a Glance
- Roads Affected: I-95, Castor Avenue, and Venango Street
- Dates: Monday, Oct. 5, through Monday, Oct. 12
- Times: Mostly 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.; Venango Street closure runs continuously from Friday night through Monday morning
- Reason: New I-95 traffic pattern setup and bridge demolition
From Monday, Oct. 5, through Thursday, Oct. 8, the ramp from Castor Avenue to northbound I-95 will close nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Drivers on Castor Avenue will be directed north on Aramingo Avenue, then left onto Adams Avenue to reach the northbound I-95 entrance at the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange.
Drivers approaching from Delaware Avenue will be directed east on Venango Street, right onto Balfour Avenue, left onto Castor Avenue, north on Aramingo Avenue and left onto Adams Avenue before entering northbound I-95 at the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange.
Lane closures are also scheduled on northbound and southbound I-95 between the Betsy Ross Bridge and Allegheny Avenue interchanges from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, through Friday, Oct. 9.
Another disruption begins at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, when Venango Street closes between Richmond Street and Balfour Street for overhead bridge demolition. That closure will remain in place continuously until 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12.
Drivers will be detoured along Richmond Street, Castor Avenue and Balfour Street.
PennDOT expects the new northbound I-95 traffic pattern to be fully in place by Saturday, Oct. 10. Three northbound lanes will shift into the highway’s median area for approximately two years while crews reconstruct northbound I-95 and its bridges between Tioga Street and Wheatsheaf Lane.
Four southbound lanes will remain open through the work zone during this phase.
The new pattern will connect with the existing I-95 Section BR3 traffic configuration farther north.
Drivers should plan extra time and expect backups as motorists adjust to the new layout. All scheduled work is weather dependent.
The restrictions are part of the $311 million I-95/AF3 project to reconstruct and widen 1.3 miles of I-95 in both directions between Tioga Street and Wheatsheaf Lane.
Before heading onto I-95, check the MyChesCo Traffic Center for the latest closures, construction restrictions and delays so you can adjust your route before congestion builds: https://www.mychesco.com/traffic/
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