Interstate 676: Difference between revisions

|length_ref=<ref name="FHWA">{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reportsplanning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table2.htm?redirect|title=Route Log and Finder List, Table 2|publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]|date= 2002-10-31|access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref>

|terminus_b={{jct|state=NJ|I|76|road|[[Route 76C (New Jersey)|Route 76C]]}} in [[Gloucester City, New Jersey|Gloucester City, NJ]]

'''Interstate&nbsp;676''' ('''I-676''') is an [[Interstate Highway]] that serves as a major thoroughfare through [[Center City, Philadelphia|Center City Philadelphia]], where it is known as the '''Vine Street Expressway''', and [[Camden, New Jersey]], where it is known as the northern segment of the [[North–South Freeway (New Jersey)|North–South Freeway]], as well as the '''Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Highway''' in honor of civil rights leader [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] Its western terminus is at [[Interstate 76 in Pennsylvania|I-76]] in Philadelphia near the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] and [[Fairmount Park]]. From there, it heads east and is then routed on surface streets near [[Franklin Square (Philadelphia)|Franklin Square]] and [[Independence National Historical Park]], home of the [[Liberty Bell]], before crossing the [[Delaware River]] on the [[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]]. On the [[New Jersey]] side of the bridge, the highway heads south to its southern terminus at I-76 in [[Gloucester City, New Jersey|Gloucester City]] near the [[Walt Whitman Bridge]]. Between the western terminus and downtown Camden, I-676 is [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with [[U.S. Route&nbsp;30]] (US&nbsp;30).

After [[World War II]], freeway approaches were planned for both sides of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which was completed in 1926 and serves as a part of US&nbsp;30. In [[Pennsylvania]], the Vine Street Expressway was planned to run along the northern edge of Center City to the [[Schuylkill River]], while, in New Jersey, the North–South Freeway was to head south along the [[New Jersey Route 42|Route&nbsp;42]] corridor. When the [[Interstate Highway System]] was created in the 1950s, this stretch of highway was a part of I-80S, with '''Interstate&nbsp;680''' ('''I-680''') continuing on the Schuylkill Expressway to the [[Walt Whitman Bridge]].

In 1964, the designations became I-76 and I-676, respectively, and, in 1972, the two routes were switched onto their current alignments. I-676 in New Jersey was completed between I-76 and Morgan Boulevard by 1960 and north of there to downtown Camden by the 1980s. The Vine Street Expressway was opened from the Schuylkill Expressway to 18th Street by 1960 and east of there to I-95 on January 10, 1991, despite opposition from the adjacent community and other obstacles to construction. However, thereThere are grade-level intersections with traffic signals in the connections between the Vine Street Expressway and the [[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]]. This intersection does not follow typical rules and regulations of the Interstate Highway System, and is also notorious for having high crash rates and pedestrian fatalities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Dangerous Highways in Philadelphia |url=https://www.zavodnicklaw.com/philadelphia-car-accident-lawyer/most-dangerous-highways/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers |language=en-US}}</ref>

I-676 begins at an interchange with the [[Schuylkill Expressway]] ([[Interstate 76 in Pennsylvania|I-76]] and [[U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania|US&nbsp;30]]) in the city of [[Philadelphia]] in [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania]], heading to the east on the six-lane Vine Street Expressway [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with US&nbsp;30. It immediately crosses the [[Schuylkill River]] and then the [[Schuylkill River Trail]] and [[CSX Transportation]]'s [[Philadelphia Subdivision]] railroad line on the river's east bank on the [[Vine Street Expressway Bridge]], before coming to an interchange with 23rd Street and 22nd Street and the [[Benjamin Franklin Parkway]] that has access to the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] and the [[Franklin Institute]] science museum.<ref name=adc>{{cite map|publisher=[[ADC Map]]|title=Metro Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|year=2006|edition=19th|scale= 1"=2000'|pages=62–63|isbn=0-87530-777-9}}</ref><ref name=gm>{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=schuylkill+expressway+and+vine+st+expressway+philadelphia,+pa&daddr=39.9,+-75.111667&geocode=FZTLYQIdesiE-ylFVOpjs8fGiTGQRDXguCSuwg%3B&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=39.907366,-75.094728&sspn=0.027455,0.0842&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12|title=overview of I-676 |access-date=2010-01-11}}</ref> From this point, the Vine Street Expressway enters a [[Cut (earthworks)|depressed road cut]] and passes under several streets and two [[freeway lid]]s, running along the northern edge of [[Center City, Philadelphia|Center City]].<ref name=gm/> [[Vine Street (Philadelphia)|Vine Street]] serves as a street-level [[frontage road]] to the freeway.<ref name=adc/><ref name=gm/> Within this alignment, there is an exit for [[Pennsylvania Route 611]] (PA&nbsp;611; [[Broad Street (Philadelphia)|Broad Street]]).<ref name=adc/> After passing under 10th Street in [[Chinatown, Philadelphia|Chinatown]], the last street the depressed alignment passes under, the highway rises up and reaches a split between the Vine Street Expressway, which continues to [[Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania|I-95]], and I-676/US&nbsp;30.<ref name=adc/><ref name=gm/> At this split, there is also an eastbound exit and westbound entrance for 8th Street.<ref name=adc/> After exiting the Vine Street Expressway, eastbound I-676/US&nbsp;30 has a brief at-grade portion along southbound 6th Street east of [[Franklin Square (Philadelphia)|Franklin Square]] to the [[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]] approach, where westbound and eastbound traffic actually have a traffic light intersecting Franklin Street and 6th Street respectively, an example of a [[List of gaps in Interstate Highways|non–limited access section]] of Interstate Highway.<ref name=adc/><ref name=gm/> Westbound I-676/US&nbsp;30 has a ramp from the bridge to the Vine Street Expressway that intersects 7th Street and 8th Street at-grade.<ref name=adc/> From this point, I-676/US&nbsp;30 crosses over I-95, [[Columbus Boulevard (Philadelphia)|Christopher Columbus Boulevard]], and then the [[Delaware River]] on the seven-lane Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which also carries pedestrians and the [[PATCO Speedline]].<ref name=adc/><ref name=gm/> This bridge and its approaches are maintained by the [[Delaware River Port Authority]] (DRPA).<ref name="NJDOT" />

When the [[Interstate Highway System]] was created in the 1950s, the Vine Street Expressway, Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and part of the North–South Freeway were to become a part of it.<ref name="yellowbook">{{cite map| publisher=[[Bureau of Public Roads]] |title=General Location of National System of Interstate Highways in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania_1955_Yellow_Book.jpg|year=1955 |access-date=2010-01-11}}</ref> In New Jersey, this Interstate was initially designated as FAI Corridor&nbsp;109.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|last=Wright|first=George Cable|title=New Roads with New Numbers Will Parallel Old U.S. Routes |newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 19, 1958}}</ref> In 1958, this freeway was initially planned as I-895 and I-380 before the [[American Association of State Highway Officials]] designated it as a part of I-80S.<ref name=nyt/><ref name="PennDOT 1960">{{cite map|publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Highways|title=Pennsylvania State Transportation|url=http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/MAPS/Statewide/Historic_OTMs/1960bk.pdf|year=1960|section=2|access-date=2007-06-06|archive-date=March 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311083104/http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/MAPS/Statewide/Historic_OTMs/1960bk.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Meanwhile, I-680 was designated along the present-day Schuylkill Expressway between the Vine Street Expressway and the Walt Whitman Bridge. By 1960, the Vine Street Expressway had been completed between the Schuylkill Expressway and 18th Street. The portion of I-80S in New Jersey on the North–South Freeway had opened south of Morgan Boulevard by this time.<ref name="PennDOT 1960"/> On April 16, 1963, Pennsylvania wanted to renumber its Interstate numbers. Part of this was the renumbering from I-80S into I-76 and all of its [[List of auxiliary Interstate Highways|auxiliary routes]] into I-X76. The [[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA) approved the request on February 26, 1964. As a result, I-80S became I-76 and I-680 became I-676.<ref name="Rambler">{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/i76.htmcfm|title=Was I-76 Numbered to Honor Philadelphia for Independence Day, 1776?|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|date= 2005-01-18|work=Ask the Rambler|access-date=2007-06-06}}</ref> In 1972, the I-76 and the I-676 designations were switched onto their current routes.<ref name="AASHTO">{{AASHTO minutes |year=1972S |page=425 |access-date=October 16, 2014 }}</ref> The remainder of the New Jersey portion of I-676 between Morgan Boulevard and US&nbsp;30 was completed by the 1980s.<ref name="statefarm">{{cite map|publisher=[[State Farm Insurance]]|title= State Farm Road Atlas |year=1983|cartography=[[Rand McNally]]}}</ref>

In 2022, the city of Philadelphia applied for federal funds to initiate a study to cap the freeway and reconnect the affected neighborhoods to Center City.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://whyy.org/articles/philly-vine-street-expressway-chinatown-federal-funds-to-cap/ |title=City to apply for funds to cap portion of Vine Street Expressway through Chinatown |date=June 6, 2022 |publisher=WHYY |access-date=June 26, 2022}}</ref> Capping the Vine Street Expressway is part of the 2017 Chinatown Neighborhood Plan.<ref>{{citation |url= https://chinatown-pcdc.org/about/chinatown-neighborhood-plan-2017/ |title=PCDC Sets Vision of Health and Equity for Next 10 Years of Chinatown |publisher=[[Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation]] |access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref> On March 11, 2024, it was announced this project will receive a $158.9 million federal grant.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stamm|first=Dan|title=Plan to ‘Stitch' Philly's Chinatown together gets $159M federal grant|publisher=WCAU-TV|location=Philadelphia, PA|date=March 11, 2024|url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/transportation-and-transit/chinatown-stitch-i-676/3799643/|access-date=March 13, 2024}}</ref>

==ExitMajor listintersections==

Exits in Pennsylvania are unnumbered.{{jcttop|exit|state_col=state|length_ref=<ref name="NJDOT">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/00000676__-.pdf|title=I-676 Straight Line Diagram|publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|access-date=March 17, 2020}}</ref><ref name="DeLorme">[[DeLorme]] Street Atlas USA 2007, Toggle Measure Tool. Accessed on 2007-06-06.</ref>}}

|sspan=912

|cspan=912

|lspan=912

|exit=–

|road={{jct|state=PA|I|76|dir1=west|US|30|dir2=west|city1=Valley Forge|location2=[[Philadelphia International Airport|International Airport]]|extra=airport}}

|notes=Western terminus; west end of US 30 [[concurrency (road)|concurrency]]; exit 344 on I-76overlap; to [[Fairmount Park]], [[Philadelphia Zoo]], [[30th Street Station]]

|exit=–

|exit=–

|notes=ExitNo eastbound entrance; exit 22 on I-95; to [[Penn's Landing]]

|mileexit=

|road={{jct|state=PA|to1=to|PA|611|road|[[Vine Street (Philadelphia)|Vine Street]]|to2=yes|PA|611|location1=[[Pennsylvania Convention Center]]}}

|road={{jct|state=PA|road|6th Street south|location1=[[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]]|location2=[[Penn's Landing]]}}

|exit=–

|river=[[Delaware River]]<br />([[Pennsylvania|PA]]–[[New Jersey|NJ]] state line)

|bridge=[[Benjamin Franklin Bridge]] (North/westboundnorthbound toll,; cash or [[E-ZPass]])}}

|exit=–

|road={{jct|state=NJ|US|30|dir1=east|to2=to|NJTP||US|130|NJ|38|NJ|70|NJTPdir4=east|dir5=east|city1=Cherry Hill|city2=Trenton}}

|road={{jct|state=NJ|to1=to|dir1=east|US|30|road|MartinMLK LutherBoulevard King/ Boulevard|location1=Campbell Place|location2=[[Waterfront (Camden)|Waterfront]]|extra=hospital}}

|notes=No northbound entrance; access via Federal Street; US 30 not signed southbound; to [[Cooper University Hospital]] and [[Adventure Aquarium]]

|type=incompletetoll

|road={{jct|state=NJ|to1=yes|US|130|dir1=north|NJ|168|dir2=south|city1=Camden|city2=Trenton}}

|notes=Southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via [[New Jersey Route 76C|Route 76C]]

|exit=–

|road={{jct|state=NJ|I|76|dir1=east|to2=to|I|295|NJ|42|dir3=south|city1=Atlantic City|location2=[[Delaware Memorial Bridge]]}}

|notes=ExitSouthern terminus; exit 2 on I-76