323 - I-95 Girard Avenue Interchange Stormwater Project: Lessons Learned from Collaborative Research

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is reconstructing and improving I-95 through Port Richmond to Fishtown and the Northern Liberties communities near the Delaware riverfront in Philadelphia. Over 70 green stormwater infrastructure facilities are being constructed to mitigate the impact of the impervious surface on the runoff quantity and quality. PennDOT and infrastructure consulting firm AECOM have enlisted the help of VCRWS researchers to monitor and research how these systems perform, and to recommend improvements for future sections of I-95. Temple University is also a partner on the team.
The research program (started in 2018) includes monitoring and assessment of the stormwater management practices (SMPs), both individually and as a system. As part of the project, the team is performing both field and laboratory studies from both the hydrologic and geotechnical perspectives to review performance and determine how infiltration rates and soil properties are changing over time. The overall performance of these systems is being monitored using a number of flow measuring devices such as inflow sensors, weirs, moisture and depth sensors. Using models allows researchers to better understand the hydrologic performance and sediment movement inside these systems and how they may or not change infiltration rates over time.
Through this research on an active roadway stormwater practice has led to many observations and recommendations, including design, construction, maintenance, and performance of both the collection system, and the SMPs. This presentation will review what has been observed since 2018.