In 1947 the “Better Philadelphia” report was published. In order to eliminate traffic congestion and revitalize the city, the report proposed to turn Vine Street into an expressway. The original plan also called for South St to be replaced with a crosstown expressway.
In 1956, as part of the Interstate and Defense Highway Act, the Vine Street Expressway was officially designated as an interstate highway. Thereafter, the Federal Highway Administration, PennDOT, city transportation officials and much of the city’s business community supported the idea of extending the expressway from 17th Street to I-95 and the Ben Franklin Bridge. However, as the project came closer to fruition in the 1960s, it was met with dissent.
The official plan released in 1966 involved the demolition of a large portion of Chinatown and separating the community from its church. This prompted groups of activists and residents to organize in order to prevent the displacement of their densely populated community. As a result of the protests and legal challenges, the project was put on hold.
The original southern boundary of the Vine Street Expressway in our area was located on the north side of Vine. However, in the 60’s, the right-of way for the Expressway was moved one block north to its current location between Wood and Callowhill Streets, thus preserving the original site of Villanova University at 427 Vine Street.
With no community opposition, active demolition for the expressway began, first with the removal of the skid row area of Vine Street between 6th and 9th Streets and, then, to the east, six blocks of homes and commercial buildings between Wood and Callowhill Streets, some dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Resistance to the Expressway began in our neighborhood in the mid 1970’s. Remaining residents and businesses, St. Augustine Church, and newcomers, many who moved into vacated factories and warehouses, organized into Franklin Bridge North Neighbors, Inc. in order to mitigate the deleterious effects of a multi-lane highway running through the neighborhood. Working with representatives of PennDot, their successful efforts included reducing the proposed 8 lanes to 6, moving the right of way 500 feet north of the homes and apartments along Wood Street, locating the highway on a berm instead of the proposed stilts, and designing, with landscape architects from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the park that runs along Wood Street between 2nd and 6th Streets.
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