PHILADELPHIA, PA — In an effort to reconnect the historically divided neighborhoods of Philadelphia’s Chinatown and Chinatown North, the City of Philadelphia, in partnership with the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), has announced the selection of a design concept for the Chinatown Stitch project. This innovative plan involves capping a section of the Vine Street Expressway, a move that aims to improve local roadways and promote community wellbeing.
The Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) and PCDC have spent the past year gathering input from the Chinatown community and the general public. The study’s aim was to identify an infrastructure solution that would address the historic harm caused by the expressway with a technically and economically feasible highway cap. The selected design, identified as Concept 1, was the most favored among three alternatives during two rounds of workshops and surveys held in April and September.
Concept 1, covering two blocks, scored slightly lower in preference during the survey period but was ultimately chosen due to its lower cost and quicker implementation time. The design successfully meets the study’s goals while minimizing negative impacts.
As the only neighborhood in Philadelphia without a public green space, the Chinatown community expressed a need for change that would reduce air and noise pollution, increase pedestrian safety, and enhance public well-being. The Vine Street Expressway currently runs east-west through the center of the study area, dividing the city’s central business district. Its construction resulted from over sixty years of efforts to connect I-95 and I-76 on either side of Center City.
The project’s timeline began in spring 2023 with Phase 1, which involved understanding the Chinatown community’s needs through various public engagement opportunities. In Phase 2, during the summer and fall of 2023, the study team developed potential cap design concepts based on community input and presented these concepts through public surveys, community pop-up events, and workshops.
The final phase saw the study team review the latest community feedback and settle on the preferred design concept. In December 2023, they released the final report and executive summary, sharing the community vision for the Chinatown Stitch.
Looking ahead, the City of Philadelphia plans to hire a consultant in 2024-2025 to conduct preliminary engineering for the project. Funding for the remaining engineering and construction will be sought from federal sources. If successful, construction could commence as early as 2027.
For more information, visit the Chinatown Stitch project page.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.