BLOCK BY BLOCK: PENN’S LANDING PARK, I-95 CAP PROJECT

BY LUIS TORRADO | TORRADO CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.

Catching up with James Edwards, PM/Estimator of the Masonry Division of Torrado Construction, we got some great behind the scenes stories on PennDot’s massive $329 million I-95 Central Access Project (I-95 CAP). Torrado Construction in conjunction with Buckley & Company, Inc., is in progress over the stretch of I-95 in Philadelphia between Walnut and Chestnut Streets with the Penn’s Landing I-95 CAP Project. They are helping to construct a new 11.5-acre public park connecting Old City and Penn’s Landing’s waterfront — ‘Capping’ over I-95.

From a birds-eye view the park promises to be the bridge between the now disconnected waterfront and the Philadelphia District of Old City.

The 11.5-acre site will boast something for everyone, a public park with small, flexible spaces to be used by the community, to work, play, and relax. Last we checked, the plans called for multipurpose space that will offer year-round activities; a free-form play area for kids, a marketplace, roller rink, a screening area for movie nights, and we’ve heard the city will bring back the scenic ice rink and Winterfest in the winter months. The plans for the pavilion and breezeway are of-another-world too. A grand, yet familiar, gathering place for young and old alike.

This monumental project has a timeline of five years to complete. Speaking of monuments, just this past November and December Torrado Construction took on a 7-week project to carefully deconstruct, literally block by block, the existing Irish and Scottish Memorial monuments’ base structures and reconstruct them in a temporary location near Society Hill Towers. Edwards said they used small electric chipping guns to faithfully break apart the existing rubble stone (rough, uneven building stone not laid in regular courses), in an effort to salvage and rebuild the monuments’ base structures in the new temporary location. This was all in an effort to preserve and reinvent the care and history, and allow access to the general public while the I-95 CAP project is underway. See photos courtesy of Torrado Construction of the rebuild at Foglietta Park, at the corner of 38th Parallel Place and Spruce Street. This temporary Irish and Scottish Memorial Site is now open to the public to enjoy.

An interesting foot note, The rubble stone will be once again be dismantled and rebuilt alongside the huge Irish and Scottish memorial statues when they are returned to their permanent resting place at the new Penn’s Landing Park at the completion of construction in 2028.

In the meantime, Edwards said, they are busy prepping for the permanent fit-out, slated to begin in 2027, by contacting and collaborating with suppliers on the new materials needed for the next phase.

James also said that Torrado Construction, in their partnership with Buckley & Company, Inc., is so proud to be on site, building communities 'literally' block by block.

Torrado Construction, was established in 1995 by Luis E. Torrado, and is a home-grown, minority certified, commercial construction firm. Torrado Construction specializes in general and subcontracting work, historic renovations and rehabilitations, concrete and masonry services, and maintenance and new construction contract services, while Torrado Distributors, Inc (TDI) is a licensed material supplier. Torrado is an equal opportunity employer that strives to hire locally and use area businesses and suppliers whenever possible.