January 09, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
SEPTA bus routes 5, 12, 17, 21, 33, 38, 42 and 44 will be adjusted beginning Sunday, Jan 14. due to ongoing construction at Penn's Landing.
With construction underway near Penn's Landing for the future park that will cap I-95, SEPTA says eight of its bus routes will need to be adjusted as PennDOT's work continues.
The eight routes in Old City and Society Hill will be altered with new start and end locations beginning Sunday, Jan. 14. The Chestnut Street bridge will be closed the next day for its planned demolition, which will divert traffic south on Front Street.
Changes are planned for SEPTA bus routes 5, 12, 17, 21, 33, 38, 42 and 44. SEPTA bus route 48 will continue as usual and maintain its current start and end locations at the Front Street and Market Street loop.
The chart below shows the adjustments for each route. SEPTA also shared more detailed information with maps showing the alterations.
| Route | Pre-construction start/end | New start/end |
| 5 | Front & Market Loop | Start: 2nd & Arch streets End: 2nd & Market streets |
| 12 | Dock Street (between Columbus Blvd. and Front Street | 38th Parallel Place at Spruce Street |
| 17 | Penn's Landing Viaduct | 2nd Street (between Church & Cuthbert streets) |
| 21 | Penn's Landing Viaduct | Dock Street (between Columbus Blvd. & Front Street |
| 33 | Penn's Landing Viaduct | 5th Street (between Arch & Market streets) |
| 38 | 5th Street (between Arch & Market streets) | 5th Street (south of Market Street at Ludlow Street) |
| 42 | Penn's Landing Viaduct | 38th Parallel Place at Spruce Street |
| 44 | 5th Street (between Arch & Market streets) | Front & Market Loop |
Demolition of the Chestnut Street bridge is the latest in a series of steps PennDOT has taken to prepare for the cap project. The Walnut Street pedestrian bridge over Columbus Boulevard and the rotunda at Penn's Landing were demolished in late December. The portion of the Walnut Street bridge that covers I-95 will be torn down along with the Chestnut Street bridge, likely resulting in some closures on I-95, PennDOT officials said.
The $328.9 million project will create an 11 1/2-acre park that extends over I-95 and Columbus Boulevard, spanning north to south from Chestnut to Walnut streets. The park is expected to include an ice rink, public gardens, memorials, a play area, an amphitheater, food trucks, a café and a pavilion, PennDOT officials said.
Also included in the project is an extension of the South Street pedestrian bridge over Columbus Boulevard, connecting pedestrians and cyclists with an expanded Delaware River Trail between Spring Garden Street to the north and Washington Avenue to the south.
PennDOT officials hope to complete the project in 2028, with the park expected to open the following year.
