(UPDATE) Walnut Street Repaving and Safety Project Beginning 9/12/23

Walnut Street repaving
Nov 30, 2023 4 months ago
Notes

11/30/23 Update

The paving process continues on West Walnut Street, and we have received updated information on the new layout of the street, which you can see below. 

Here is what has been accomplished as of November 30th:

  1. Installation of line striping by PennDOT crews: nearly complete
  2. Installation of flexible delineator posts by PennDOT crews and Streets crews: continuing west of 46th Street and infill areas
  3. Installation of new regulation signs by PPA, including loading zones on each block: coming in the next two months
  4. Installation of upgraded traffic signals at 34th, 38th, 52nd, & 63rd by City contractor crews: coming in the next two months

 

 

 

The City of Philadelphia's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (oTIS) has announced a schedule for the paving and reworking of Walnut Street between 33rd and 63rd Street/Cobbs Creek Parkway in West Philadelphia. This weeks-long project, beginning on Tuesday, September 12th, will include milling, paving, and the introduction of a new layout for the roadway to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. This work is the result of two years of meetings between city staff and neighbors, businesses, commuters, and workers, and aims to:

  • Create a smoother street surface
  • Create shorter and safer pedestrian crossings
  • Calm traffic by decreasing aggressive driving
  • Increase safety for people riding bikes 

 

Plese note: From Tuesday, September 12th through Friday, September 15th, there will be one lane closed on Walnut Street between 63rd and 33rd between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM. Additional closures are expected, especially during nighttime work. People walking, biking, and driving should follow posted signs, detours, and parking notices during construction. 

What Does Construction Include?

  • Grinding the top surface of asphalt down approximately 2 inches to make room for a new layer of asphalt, or milling
  • Painting fresh crosswalks and roadway markings in an updated layout (see photo below)
  • Shortening pedestrian crossing distance for people walking across Walnut Street
  • Removing left-turn vehicle lanes at most intersections where there are lower turn volumes
  • Upgrading the existing painted bike lane to a parking-separated bike lane from 33rd Street to 63rd
  • The bike lane will expand the bike network’s connectivity between West Philadelphia and Center City. The parking-separated bike lane will also serve as a pair to the east-bound Chestnut Street separated bike lane from 63rd Street/Cobbs Creek Parkway to 22nd Street.

 

Schedule

The project will begin with the milling (grinding the top surface of asphalt down approximately 2 inches to make room for a new layer of asphalt) of Walnut Street during overnight hours from Monday, September 11th through Friday, September 15th. During this work, Walnut Street will be reduced to one lane between 33rd Street and 63rd Street. Motorists using Walnut Street during these overnight hours should expect delays. The repaving of Walnut Street is expected to begin on or around Tuesday, September 26th, and continue through Friday, September 29th. 

Walnut Street between 33rd Street and 63rd Streets (Cobbs Creek Parkway) had 331 crashes from 2018-2022, according to PennDOT. In these crashes, there were 214 people injured, 15 people seriously injured, and three people killed. Nearly 45% of those total crashes were due to aggressive driving

Parking-separated bike lanes enhance traffic safety for all users of the road. A similar project on Chestnut Street built in 2017 between 45th and 34th Streets, significantly reduced crashes. After the new layout with the parking separated bike lane was installed on Chestnut Street, there was a 43% decrease in drivers traveling above the speed limit and a 40% decrease in injuries.

The Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, & Sustainability coordinated closely with City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s office on this project, as well as State Representative and Speaker of the House Joanna E. McClinton and State Representative Rick Krajewski. 

Community groups played a major role in the project, including Cobbs Creek Neighbors, Garden Court Community Association, Walnut Hill Community Association, and West Philadelphia United Neighbors.

Residents can view the PennDOT District 6 news and traffic alerts page for additional information. You can also click here to see updates from the City of Philadelphia.