Metro Philadelphia

Drivers heading into Philadelphia may soon notice a brighter welcome.

From murals to gardens, city leaders are giving some of Philadelphia’s most traveled corridors a makeover. Officials unveiled a sweeping highway beautification initiative this week designed to transform major entryways into the city ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Mayor Cherelle Parker joined the city’s Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Mural Arts Philadelphia to debut a new mural along I-76 at Spring Garden Street, along with landscaping improvements at seven key gateway sites stretching from Philadelphia International Airport to Center City.

The effort, dubbed “Gateways to Philadelphia” Anti-Graffiti & Highway Beautification Project, is part of a broader push to prepare the city for a series of major events expected to draw millions of visitors, including America’s semiquincentennial celebration, the FIFA World Cup and the MLB All-Star Game.

“When residents and visitors travel through Philadelphia, they should immediately feel the pride we have in our city,” said Parker. “These improvements help transform major entry points into vibrant, welcoming spaces that showcase Philadelphia’s vibrant culture, creativity, and commitment to cleaner and greener communities.”

City officials said the project includes murals, graffiti removal, expanded maintenance efforts and large-scale landscaping installations along major highway corridors connecting the airport, 30th Street Station and Independence Hall.

“You get one chance to make a great first impression,” said Office of Clean and Green Initiatives director Carlton Williams. “What better way to welcome visitors and have them feel connected to the city than through symbolic and picturesque imagery of Philadelphia at its iconic entryways to the city.”

The initiative targets seven priority locations across the city, including the South Street Bridge corridor, the I-76 and I-676 interchanges near Vine Street, areas surrounding 30th Street Station, 26th Street Gateway at Penrose Avenue and the CSX/Amtrak wall at Spring Garden Street.

A centerpiece of the project is a 16,000-square-foot mural painted on a wall bordering I-76 near Spring Garden Street. The mural was designed by Philadelphia artist Carlos Lopez Rosa, also known as Calo Rosa, and highlights Philadelphia landmarks and imagery tied to the city’s identity and history.

“Philly is a city built on grit, and this team showed exactly what can be accomplished through passion, skill, and dedication,” said Rosa. “This has been one of the most challenging and ambitious projects I’ve ever worked on — a project this big takes trust, teamwork, and vision, and this crew brought it all.”

Organizers from Mural Arts Philadelphia said its Gateways mural along I-76 was one of the organization’s most technically challenging projects because crews worked within active highway and rail corridors. The mural was completed in less than two months during overnight shifts coordinated with CSX, Amtrak and city agencies to temporarily divert traffic and suspend rail activity.

“No challenge is too great for Mural Arts when it comes to making public art that reflects the heart and soul of Philadelphia,” said Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. “The ‘Gateways’ project is a thrilling opportunity to spotlight the wealth of creative energy and artistic talent that lives here.”

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is also overseeing extensive landscaping improvements across the gateway corridors. Officials said more than 57,000 square feet of roadway infrastructure will be converted into year-round public gardens featuring a “Ribbon of Gold” color palette inspired by the Philadelphia flag.

PHS will plant 65 trees, more than 540 shrubs, nearly 2,700 ornamental grasses, over 4,500 perennials, and approximately 96,000 bulbs across the six gateway locations stretching from South Philadelphia to Center City, officials said. 

Several installations have already been completed, while additional plantings are expected in the coming weeks. Officials said the gardens should begin reaching full bloom by summer.

The project carries an estimated cost of $11.5 million funded through city, state, nonprofit and philanthropic support. Officials said the funding will support both installation and long-term maintenance of the sites.

“This beautiful new mural and the surrounding landscape installations bring to life the vision of the Gateways project,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, senior vice president os The Pew Charitable Trusts. “These enhancements reflect the energy and creativity of a city that’s ready to welcome millions of people for the nation’s 250th anniversary, while creating meaningful, lasting spaces for Philadelphians to treasure for years to come.” 

MORE: Philly targets 20 corridors with events, upgrades ahead of America 250

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