PennDOT’s Tolling Project Running Full Steam Ahead

HARRISBURG — Tolling nine bridges in Pennsylvania, including the I-95 Girard Point Bridge in Philadelphia, became closer to reality this week when PennDOT hired a construction manager for the project.

The I-95 bridge is a 1-mile bridge over the Schuylkill River that provides the Philadelphia metropolitan area direct access to the Philadelphia International Airport and Navy Yard.

The tolling project, known as the Major Bridge P3 Initiative, is a novel plan to repair or replace nine bridges and pay for the work by placing tolls on the spans.

PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said Bridging Pennsylvania Partners, a consortium of companies including six firms in Pennsylvania specializing in heavy construction, will finalize plans to repair or replace the bridges and pay for the work with subsequent tolls.

"I am proud that we have reached this critical milestone," said Gramian in a prepared statement. "Selecting a team brings us one step closer to delivering these important improvements to our infrastructure."

The department continues to conduct public involvement and environmental reviews on the nine candidate bridges announced for consideration in February 2021.

The bridges under consideration are:

— I-95, Girard Point Bridge, Philadelphia

— I-78, Lenhartsville Bridge, Berks County

— I-79, Bridgeville Interchange Allegheny County.

— I-80, Canoe Creek Bridges, Clarion County.

— I-80, Nescopeck Creek Bridge, Luzerne County.

— I-80, North Fork Bridge, Jefferson County.

— I-80, Lehigh River Bridge, Luzerne and Carbon counties.

— I-81, Susquehanna Project, Susquehanna County.

— I-83, South Bridge Project, Dauphin County.

The I-95 project is estimated to cost between $500 and $600 million. The bridge, constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, crosses over state and local highways and the Schuylkill River and has an average of 148,500 vehicles per day, including 6% truck traffic.

The first package of bridges, which will include only bridges that have completed the environmental process, is scheduled to be under contract by December 2022, at which time final design will begin, with construction expected to begin between fall 2023 and spring 2024.

The I-95 Girard Bridge has not yet completed the environmental study process, according to PennDOT.

During a transportation budget hearing in February 2021, Rep. Leanne Krueger, a Delaware County Democrat, said her constituents are concerned about more traffic congestion with tolls on the I-95 Girard Point Bridge.

"Anyone who drives on I-95 is already getting into traffic congestion," Krueger, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said during the public hearing.