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“Basically, everybody goes to bed, they wake up in the morning and there’s a bridge there,” said Michael Altomari, assistant construction engineer at PennDOT
The bridge will not be open to pedestrians and cyclists for about another year after the arch is installed. Additional work will include constructing the approach spans, decking and railings. The bridge cables also will need to be adjusted to their proper tension, and lights and security cameras will be installed for visibility and safety.
Provided Image/PennDOT
A rendering shows plans for the South Street Bridge Extension, a 258-foot span that will carry the city’s existing structure from the east side of Interstate 95 across Christopher Columbus Boulevard to the Delaware River waterfront at Lombard Circle.
StreetView/Google Maps
The existing South Street Pedestrian Bridge was constructed in the mid-1990s, creating a path over Interstate 95 with a staircase leading down to Columbus Boulevard. The extension will take the bridge across Columbus Boulevard.
Planners initially considered building the bridge across Columbus Boulevard using a temporary pier in the middle of the road to support ongoing work. That plan would have required traffic control, disruptions and the use of shielding to protect drivers below. The old train tracks from the defunct Philadelphia Belt Line Railroad, now owned by CSX, also would have posed challenges.
“This is the smart way to do it, I think,” Altomari said of the overnight method.
PennDOT spokesperson Brad Rudolph said the agency has a time-lapse camera pointed at the location around the clock and will be able to show the public how the arch was moved into place.
Drawing more foot traffic to the waterfront
PennDOT believes easy access to the waterfront from South Street will maximize the use of new amenities and limit reliance on cars to get to them. The bridge will be about a 10-minute walk north along Columbus Boulevard to get to the future Park at Penn’s Landing.
On the east side of the bridge, PennDOT plans to build a “corkscrew”-style circle that allows people on bikes and wheelchairs to ease off the span gradually. Trees and bushes will be planted in the area, which sits right up against the river.
Provided Image/PennDOT
The east side of the bridge extension will have a circular ‘corkscrew’ design with landscaping next to the waterfront.
The existing South Street Pedestrian Bridge, owned by the city and accessed via Front Street, also will be rehabilitated as part of the project. It will remain unchanged except for the removal of its aluminum “Stroll” sculptures, which will be displayed at another location to be determined. PennDOT will rebuild the parking lot at the site of the existing bridge and maintain the new section over Columbus Boulevard.
When the Park at Penn’s Landing opens, it will have an ice rink, public gardens, memorials, children’s play area, amphitheater, food trucks, cafe and a mass-timber pavilion. There also will be a number of open spaces for performances, festivals, fairs and other events.
Provided Image/DRWC
A rendering shows an aerial view of the Park at Penn’s Landing that will open in 2030.
Bonito and Altomari are confident the I-95 cap project is on schedule for completion in 2029, followed by about a year to build out the park. PennDOT and its partners – including the Delaware River Waterfront Corp., the William Penn Foundation and the city — anticipate the park will bring new foot traffic to the length of the waterfront for a safer, more welcoming atmosphere.
“The development of that area is going to draw people, which will also draw developers,” Altomari said. “There’s a lot of piers down in that area, places that maybe have been in a little disrepair or not worth the investment to somebody. Now they might be.”
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Michael Tanenbaum
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