Pennsylvania construction crews are ahead of schedule in the demolition of the I-95 bridge that collapsed in a fire early Sunday morning, officials said.
In a Wednesday morning news conference, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said workers initially estimated that the demolition would take a week or more. But crews are anticipated to finish on Thursday, after just four days.
“I am competitive as hell,” Shapiro said, “so I want to get this road reopened as quickly as possible.”
The governor added that crews are working around the clock, even through the night. Once the demolition is complete, workers will build up the ground to the surface level of the remaining I-95 so they can then lay pavement.
“This approach will allow us to avoid delays due to shipment and supply chain issues and pursue a simple, quicker attack,” Shapiro said. “Once complete, cars and trucks can return to this stretch of 95 and then we will work together to build a permanent bridge while making sure we keep six lanes of traffic open at all times.”
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He said trucks carrying Pennsylvania-made, recycled glass aggregate that will be used as the backfill will be onsite Thursday.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said the lanes will run through the center of what is currently a void, while the outer area – 35 or so feet on either side of the lanes – is where the bridge will be built.
That construction won’t impact the traffic that flows north and south on the three lanes.
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What happened on I-95 in Philadelphia?
The elevated section of highway collapsed early Sunday morning after a truck carrying gasoline caught fire beneath it. Four northbound lanes fell onto Cottman Avenue in the city’s Tacony neighborhood, shuttering the interstate in both directions between Woodhaven Road and Aramingo Avenue.
Local officials said steel girders — which support the beams that hold up the highway — were weakened in the blaze.
According to Andrew W. Herrmann, past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, steel girders used in bridges can lose 50% of their strength at about 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, while concrete loses about half its strength at approximately 950 F.
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Sunday’s fire is estimated to have burned as hot as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, Hermann said. He added that the temperature of the blaze was “way over what would cause damage to the bridge and actually lead to its collapse.”
On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office identified Nathan Moody, an Army veteran and a proud father, as the driver of the truck. He lost control of the vehicle and crashed before the tanker caught fire.
Moody’s body was recovered from the scene, and he was identified through dental records due to the condition of his body. The medical examiner noted his cause of death as “blunt trauma of the head, inhalation and thermal injuries.”
Timeline and cost of the I-95 repair
According to a Federal Highway Administration representative, who spoke on behalf of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the administration will be providing $3 million to support the ongoing demolition and the emergency repairs to follow.
Shapiro said he freed up $7 million of the state’s money by signing a disaster declaration earlier this week.
The contract with the federal government is “open-ended,” Carroll said Wednesday, meaning that while the total cost is not yet known, it will be covered completely.
Despite repeated questions from reporters, Shapiro could not give a timeline as to when all repairs would complete or even when the three lanes in either direction would open. He noted, however, that there will be a 24/7 live feed of the repair work set up later this week.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney directed local businesses to connect with the Department of Commerce – which is working with the city’s Police Department – to assist with travel problems due to the repairs.
Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_.
