Nutter: Federal Government Supports I-95 Study
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The federal government now agrees with critics who've been complaining since the early 1960s about how I-95 has cut off the waterfront from other neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
KYW's Steve Tawa reports it's supporting a study to fix the problem.
Mayor Nutter says U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx supports the idea of capping, or covering part of I-95 and Columbus Boulevard at Penn's Landing between Chestnut and Walnut Streets.
"With the intent to eliminating barriers to accessing the waterfront, revitalizing the communities near the highway, and reconnect people to our city's great natural resources," Nutter said. He says for over 50 years, Philadelphians have long sought better access to the waterfront. "In the whole scheme of things, the placement of I-95, where it was put, and the damage it has done to this city and a number of others is pretty clear."
Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger says I-95 was an enormous "interruption in the fabric of the city," but the new vision is to create better public spaces and incentivize private development around it.