Sixers, Flyers, and Phillies games will make for 4 days of heavy traffic at the sports complex
But in some good news for drivers, the under-construction entrance ramp to I-95 North and the exit ramp from I-95 South on Front Street will be open to one lane of traffic Friday through Sunday.
Between the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers, the South Philadelphia sports complex is slated to host two games a day for four days straight starting Thursday — so folks heading out may want to prepare to hurry up and wait.
At least on Thursday.
The games come during the construction-related closure of the entrance ramp to I-95 North and the exit ramp from I-95 South on Front Street. And, unfortunately for sports fans heading to the Phillies or Flyers games Thursday, those ramps will remain closed that day, said PennDot spokesperson Brad Rudolph.
“We won’t be able to to get it open for Thursday,” Rudolph said, noting that there was “some subsurface work” at the top of the ramp that must be completed. As a result, some congestion is expected.
But starting Friday morning, those ramps will be reopened to one lane of traffic, and remain open through Sunday to help lessen traffic issues from the scheduled games. Come Monday morning, they’ll be closed again as PennDot works to wrap up repairs by May 21, Rudolph said.
When those ramps are closed, drivers who need to get to I-95 North will be directed to use Oregon Avenue and turn left onto Columbus Boulevard, while drivers can exit I-95 South at Exit 17 at Broad Street or Exit 20 at Columbus Boulevard and Washington Avenue. The closures were expected to impact sports fans, as the Packer Avenue exit is a preferred choice for those looking to get off I-95 South close to the stadiums while remaining far enough away from the Broad Street exit next to the complex to avoid the bulk of event traffic.
SEPTA, meanwhile, plans to run extra Sports Express service subway trains on the Broad Street Line for all scheduled games. Plans were still being worked out Monday evening, spokesperson Andrew Busch said, but typically the transit agency runs several extra pregame and postgame trains to accommodate additional travelers.
Also known as the B2, the Sports Express train departs from Fern Rock Transit Center, and makes select stops until Walnut-Locust Station, after which it goes directly to NRG Station at the sports complex.
Here’s the schedule for a busy four days at the sports complex:
Thursday: Phillies vs. Athletics at 6:40 p.m.; Flyers vs. Hurricanes Game 3 at 8 p.m.
Friday: Phillies vs. Rockies at 6:40 p.m.; Sixers vs. Knicks Game 3 at 7 p.m.
Saturday: Flyers vs. Hurricanes Game 4 at 6 p.m.; Phillies vs. Rockies at 6:05 p.m.
Sunday: Phillies vs. Rockies at 1:35 p.m.; Sixers vs. Knicks Game 4 at 3:30 p.m.
