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Drivers and pedestrians frustrated with I-95 on-ramp in Old City

Published  December 12, 2016 10:54pm EST
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

OLD CITY (WTXF) - It's not an accident waiting to happen. Accidents are happening. Almost daily.

"There's usually an accident a couple times a week" said Old City resident Marcus Calkins.

Calkins is talking about the intersection of Front and Market Streets near the on-ramp to I-95 South.

He walks his dog German Shepard "Ash" across the intersection every day with an abundance of caution.

"It's dangerous. So I got to keep him extra tight and extra close" he said.

The problem is 2 lanes of Market Street traffic dead end at Front Street. Drivers in the right lane must turn right onto Front. But Fox 29 witnessed many drivers ignoring the turn lane and drive straight onto the ramp and many times into other drivers.

"Nerve wracking cause it causes such a big commotion" said one driver.

Then there are the trucks. Tractor trailers that navigate around a hairpin Market Street turn to go down narrow I-95 ramp. Last Thursday,

a tractor trailer driver hauling concrete lost his load on the on-ramp to I-95. The ramp was shut down for the evening rush hour.

There are so many crashes on the intersection Jeff Yucis who works in an office above the intersection watches from a corner office counting the crashes each week.

"I would say at least 3 or 4 times a week. To the point where we bought orange vests and stop signs to come out and help" said Yucis.

In an unscientific survey, Fox 29 counted 72 drivers who made an illegal merge over a 2 hour period during the evening rush hour Monday night.

Residents like Kerry Murphy of Old City says strolls around his neighborhood are becoming more dangerous by the day.

"People in the right lane think they are turning right when they are going on 95. In reality that's straight and that's the left lane.." said Murphy.

Philadelphia Police are compiling crash data on the intersection.

But a spokesperson with the Philadelphia Streets Department tells Fox 29 that it is "coordinating with PennDOT to evaluate appropriate measures that can be taken to improve the situation at this location."