PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — More delays and detours are in store for drivers heading into Philadelphia on the Betsy Ross Bridge. The ramp from the bridge to southbound I-95 will be closed for a year.
Already, the ramp to northbound I-95 has been closed to Philadelphia-bound drivers since December 2020. Now the deteriorating ramp to southbound I-95 is closed to allow its demolition and reconstruction. Drivers who want to get to southbound I-95 must now take a 2.5-mile detour up Torresdale Avenue and down Harbison Avenue to access the expressway at Bridge Street.
PennDOT spokeswoman Robyn Briggs says that detour will allow construction crews to work faster, and engineers will be studying traffic along the route for the next month.
“They’re making sure, basically, they’re not seeing any major issues with the detour itself. So they are testing this for 30 days,” Briggs said. “They’re hoping they’ll gain time on the project to get it done sooner for the public.”
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The ramp from the Betsy to southbound I-95 is expected to reopen in mid-2023. And the ramp from the bridge to northbound I-95 should reopen in a couple of months.
“They had projected spring 2022,” Briggs said, “and the good news is, they are on track for that.”
The work is part of a $94 million reconstruction of the interchange.