2011 Ed Bacon Winner; Intersect

University of Toronto students Clara Romero and René Biberstein won $5,000 for their entry to the 2011 Ed Bacon Competition "INTERSECT", which asked student teams to re-imagine the I-95 corridor.  What happens when transportation corridors and cities collide?

The winning entry titled "Float your Boat" proposed a beautiful grand front door entry from the river to the city of Philadelphia.  The team proposed a grand stair and a vista stretching all the way to City hall.  This proposed iconic view could rival the Benjamin Franklin Parkway vista arguably so, although hard to beat.  Step out of your boat and stroll up to a new boulevard built on top of interstate 95.  The new waterfront will be alive with shops and cafés, and two contiguous pedestrian routes: one along the new 'Delaware Boulevard' and the other along the river itself.

While previous decks were piecemeal and acted like cul-de-sacs, the complete decking of the highway as it passes through Center City will allow Philadelphia's fabric to extend organically to the waterfront, including buildings of a similar scale to those found in Old City.

A linear park along Walnut street would connect the water to existing city parks, including Independence Mall.  Meanwhile, an extended Market Street tram line would emerge from underground at the boulevard, providing badly needed transit service to southeastern Philadelphia.

View The Winning Entry Here