Prepare to see changes along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway over the coming months.
The famous boulevard that runs from City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art will undergo a multi-million dollar overhaul.
Gov. Ed Rendell, Mayor Michael Nutter, and leaders from the city’s cultural and philanthropic communities joined together to announce their vision for the Parkway at a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.
“The improvements to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will help restore it as a tree-lined boulevard that is an appropriate home for some of Philadelphia’s most famous landmarks and cultural institutions,” said Rendell.
Enhancements include, narrowing the outer lanes of the 2100 and 2200 blocks, restoring the Rodin Museum and courtyard garden and transforming Sister Cities Park.
With plans for additional landscaping and bike lanes, beauty isn’t the only factor here. The $19 million project aims to make the boulevard a much more pedestrian-friendly route.
The revitalized boulevard coincides with the construction of the city's newest museum -- the Barnes Foundation -- between 20th and 21st streets. It is scheduled to open in 2011.
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The city is paying for the project with some help from the commonwealth, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Art Museum, among other donors.
Whether you’ll be driving, cycling, or walking, this makeover should transform the way you experience what's been called America's Champs-Élysées.
