BY KELLY MADSEN
Staff Writer

Residents of Tacony and Mayfair may soon have their long-standing frustration over two troublesome I-95 ramps assuaged.

A group of more than 100 neighbors, who have long complained about the problems created by the traffic entering and exiting I-95 on Princeton Ave., met last Wednesday with PennDOT and local politicians in the Tacony-Mayfair Sons of Italy Lodge hall to find solutions.

Though no definitive answers were offered, Andrew L. Warren, administrator of District 6 for the PA Department of Highways said PennDOT will hire a consultant by December to begin studying the area and devising propositions.

For the last 25 years, neighbors have complained about the on-and off-ramps for I-95 at Princeton Ave. Susan Pennypacker, who lives at Princeton and Marsden aves., said the entrance ramps for I-95 North and South at Princeton are dangerous because both ramps are next to each other which causes trouble for motorists who aren't familiar with the area.

Moreover, Our Lady of Consolation School is in proximity to the ramps which makes it dangerous for students to cross Princeton Ave. Harry Crane, an 8th grader at the school, said students can barely hear teachers speaking inside some classrooms because the roar of the traffic passing by.

"This is much more than planning; this is going to happen," said Karen Peck, a spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Robert A. Borski Jr. (D-3).

Borski has been a driving force in getting the money to begin the process, Warren said. Borski tacked the money to start this project onto a transportation bill being voted on in Congress last week. "There is money identified solely for this project," Warren said.

Warren estimated the cost of the project to be $50 to 60 million.

After a consultant is hired, the study will take approximately two years. Traffic patterns on the nearby roads will have to be studied, and other concerns such as identifying the water and electric lines running under the streets, environmental issues, and historical buildings in the area.

Residents would not see construction for at least three years. Peter Naccarato, a neighborhood representative, assured those attending the meeting that nothing will happen until the community is notified and given an opportunity for input.

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