The City of Philadelphia and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation Celebrate the Completion of the Washington Avenue Connector Transportation Project

Washington Avenue has been redesigned with improvements to traffic safety and quality of life for everyone whether they walk, roll, bike, take transit, or drive.

PHILADELPHIA - The City of Philadelphia and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) announced the completion of the Washington Avenue Connector project with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Washington Avenue near 4th Street. Managing Director Carlton Williams and Streets Commissioner Kristin Del Rossi were joined by Representative Elizabeth Fiedler and DRWC President Joseph A. Forkin to celebrate this achievement with members of the project team and community.

This transportation project was a collaboration between the City and DRWC to redesign Washington Avenue between 4th Street to Columbus Boulevard with the goal of improving traffic safety, accessibility, and quality of life.

"Building and maintaining 2,500 miles of streets across the city is essential to realizing a safer, cleaner, and greener Philadelphia with economic opportunity for all," said Managing Director Carlton Williams. "Whether it's daily maintenance, this incredible new connector, or projects underway in other communities. All of this is made possible thanks to the skill and dedication of our City workforce, partner organizations, and local engineering and construction industry.

Inter-agency collaboration was essential to the comprehensive scope of this project. The Washington Avenue Connector combined a trail extension with street resurfacing, traffic signal upgrades, sidewalk improvements, and landscaping.

"Through our combined efforts, StreetsDOT and DRWC designed and delivered comprehensive improvements for everyone living and traveling along the busy Washington Avenue corridor," said Streets Commissioner Kristin Del Rossi. "Together, we have improved traffic safety and quality of life for residents, visitors, and businesses."

DRWC began planning how the Delaware River Trail would connect to Washington Avenue in 2018. Input from nearby community members described the existing corridor as unsafe and unwelcoming. This section of Washington Avenue is wider than most Philadelphia streets, which provided more options for the new roadway design. At just over 100 feet wide including the concrete median and parallel local travel and parking lanes, Washington Avenue between 4th and Front is similar to nearby Christopher Columbus Boulevard and almost twice as wide as South Broad Street.

"The Washington Avenue Connector is our largest connector street project to date and an important part of our work to reconnect Philadelphia's neighborhoods to the Delaware River," said DRWC CEO & President Joseph A. Forkin. "Easy, safe access to the river helps make the Waterfront part of everyday life in Philadelphia, and this project makes it easier for people to reach the Delaware River Trail, our public spaces, and a Waterfront every Philadelphian can call their own."

The completed project improves traffic safety and quality of life while better connecting nearby communities and the Delaware River waterfront. The new Washington Avenue Connector is safer, cleaner, greener, and more accessible for everyone, no matter how they choose to travel.

For people walking or rolling: Sidewalk extensions, new ADA curb ramps, and shorter crosswalk distances improve safety and accessibility. Additionally, new pedestrian-scale lighting, street trees, and raised planters with benches make the corridor more inviting and comfortable.

For people taking transit: All of the sidewalk and intersection improvements make it safer and easier to travel to and from bus stops along the corridor.

For people biking: This project closes the previous gap between the parking-separated bike lanes along Washington Avenue, bike lanes on Moyamensing, and the Delaware River Trail. A combination of the new bi-directional trail and upgraded parking-separated westbound bike lane provides more options and safer connectivity.

For people driving: New pavement and painted traffic markings, upgraded traffic signals, high-visibility crosswalks, and the separated trail and bike lane all combine to improve clarity and provide clear instructions for how everyone should share the roadway.

DRWC staff and design consultants Langan Engineering worked with the City, SEPTA, and PennDOT to create the final design featuring comprehensive improvements to the entire roadway. Design funding was provided by The William Penn Foundation.

Construction began in April 2025 with the $9.5 million project awarded to Heidelberg Materials TDPC LLC. Construction was managed by the StreetsDOT Construction Unit, with inspection services provided by Urban Engineers. Construction funding includes:

• Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority, Multimodal Transportation Fund
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Green Light Go Fund
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
• City of Philadelphia Capital Fund

Project Features:

• Project area: approximately 2,000 feet of Washington Avenue with 6 intersections
• Repaved and repainted Washington Avenue between 4th Street and Christopher Columbus Boulevard
• 14-foot-wide separated multi-use trail between the Delaware River Trail and Jefferson Square Park at 4th Street.
• Westbound parking-separated bike lane
• Sidewalk extensions, shorter crosswalk distances, 4 new pedestrian refuge islands, and 78 ADA-accessible sidewalk curb ramps
• New upgraded traffic signals
• Improved pedestrian-scale lighting, including 35 new light poles
• 66 new native trees
• Raised planter with benches and hundreds of native shrubs, grasses, and perennials
• 3 New bike racks with parking for 6 bikes
• 12 New trash and recycling receptacles

Press Releases