| Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project | |
|---|---|
 Ramps for Interstate 95 under construction in 2017 | |
 Map of project area showing completed components of the interchange | |
| Location | |
| Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania | |
| Coordinates | 40°07′38″N 74°53′12″W / 40.127292°N 74.886546°W |
| Roads at junction | |
| Construction | |
| Type | Interchange |
| Constructed |
|
| Opened | September 22, 2018 (mainline movements of I-95)[2] |
| Maintained by | Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission |
The Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project is an ongoing road construction project to build an interchange between Interstate 95 (I-95) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The $553 million first stage[3] is complete: a pair of flyover ramps–one connecting I-95 northbound with the eastbound turnpike and the other connecting the westbound turnpike with I-95 southbound—that opened in 2018,[2] with some cleanups to connecting roads completed in 2021.[4] Construction of the remaining ramps is expected to begin when funding is available.
The project filled a gap in I-95 left by the cancellation of the Somerset Freeway in New Jersey. It completes the highway from Miami to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing in Maine, and makes it a continuous route between Philadelphia and New York City. After the first two ramps opened, I-95 was redirected eastward along the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the New Jersey Turnpike. I-295 was extended from its former northern terminus at U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, west and south across the Scudder Falls Bridge along the former section of I-95 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The project also includes plans to rebuild nearby interchanges and overpasses and widen the turnpike from US 1 in Bensalem Township eastward to the Delaware River; some of these components have been completed, while the others are contingent on funding. The interchange project initially had approval and funding to double the capacity of the nearby Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge between Bristol Township and Burlington Township, New Jersey, by building an identical second span. But after cracks were discovered in the bridge, officials decided to replace it with a new structure that as of early 2023[update], has not yet been designed.[5]
The Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project is the last project to be financed under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, which established the Interstate Highway System.[6] It is also the first transportation project in Pennsylvania to be funded through the EB-5 visa program; its success may lead the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to apply the program to the unfinished Mon–Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway projects near Pittsburgh.[7]
- ^ Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. "Contact Us: Project Team". PA Turnpike / I-95 Interchange Project. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ a b Sofield, Tom (September 22, 2018). "Decades in the Making, I-95, Turnpike Connector Opens to Motorists". Levittown Now. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^ Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. "Background: Construction Spending". Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
- ^ "I-95 Interchange Design & Construction Details". PTC Construction Sites. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Proposed 2020 Capital Improvement Program" (PDF). New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ Federal Highway Administration. "Interstate Frequently Asked Questions". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
- ^ Kerlik, Bobby (December 13, 2014). "Investors Eager to Trade Cash for Green Cards in Immigration Program". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved December 19, 2014.