I-76 West, East also to close overnight at 30th Street

September 12, 2020 – Beginning at 5:00 AM Monday, September 14, westbound Interstate 76 will be reduced to one lane around-the-clock until the end of the year between the University Avenue and 30th Street interchanges in Center City Philadelphia for reconstruction of the median barrier, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today. 

In addition, the westbound off-ramp to South Street will be closed from 5:00 AM Monday, September 14, through the end of the year, and the South Street on-ramp to eastbound I-76 will close at 5:00 AM Monday, September 14, for approximately six weeks during median barrier construction in that area.

Additional I-76 lane restrictions and ramp closures also scheduled include:

• Monday, September 14, through Friday, September 18, eastbound I-76 will be reduced to one lane at 7:00 PM, then closed completely intermittently* from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning between the 30th Street and University Avenue interchanges for median barrier reconstruction and overhead viaduct painting. Eastbound traffic will exit at 30th Street, follow the detour around 30th Street Station, turn left on Chestnut Street, then right on Schuylkill Avenue to the Walnut Street ramp back to I-76. The South Street eastbound off-ramp also will be closed;
• Monday, September 14, through Friday, September 18, from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, westbound I-76 will be closed intermittently* between the 30th Street and Interstate 676 interchanges for overhead viaduct construction. During the closure, westbound I-76, already reduced to a single lane beginning at University Avenue, will be detoured to the 30th Street off-ramp and follow Schuylkill Avenue back to the Market Street ramp to westbound I-76; and
• From 7:00 PM Saturday, September 19, to 5:00 AM Sunday, September 20, eastbound I-76 will be reduced to one lane between the 30th Street and University Avenue interchanges for median barrier reconstruction. The South Street eastbound off-ramp also will be closed.

*The scheduled full closures of eastbound and westbound I-76 at 30th Street will not occur at the same time. When one side is closed, the other side will remain in a single-lane pattern through the work area.

During the closure of the westbound off-ramp to South Street, motorists will be detoured to the westbound off-ramp at 30th Street and follow the detour signs around 30th Street Station back to South Street.

During the closure of the eastbound off-ramp to South Street, eastbound I-76 motorists will be directed to exit at 30th Street and follow the detour signs around 30th Street Station back to South Street. 

During the closure of the South Street on-ramp to eastbound I-76, motorists will be directed to follow South Street west to 34th Street and the ramp to eastbound I-76.

Drivers are advised to use alternate routes or allow extra time when traveling through the work areas because significant backups and delays will occur during all of the scheduled activities, which are weather permitting.

Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, special signing, and relevant training.

PennDOT is repairing and resurfacing the I-76 viaduct under a $40 million contract. More information is available at www.I76viaduct.com. 

For a complete list of construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, visit our District 6 Traffic Bulletin.