I-95 Girard Avenue Interchange Stormwater Project
VCRWS researchers are monitoring the performance of green stormwater infrastructure facilities in mitigating impervious surface runoff in sections of I-95 along the Delaware riverfront.
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.
As part of the project, the team is performing both field and laboratory studies to determine how infiltration rates and soil properties change 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.
The long-term nature of this research project presents an extraordinary opportunity, particularly for student research, and is of immense value to both PennDOT and the advancement of knowledge in this area.
For more information about the project, watch this by our friends at Yale E360.