Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and state Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll announced on Tuesday that the collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia will open by this upcoming weekend, well ahead of the originally proposed two-week schedule.
“Based on the tremendous progress these crews made over the weekend and the time it takes to complete the remaining steps, I can now say that we will have I-95 back open this weekend,” Shapiro said. “We have worked around the clock to get this done, and we’ve completed each phase safely and ahead of schedule.”
The governor credited the speedy actions to “incredible” coordination between local, state and federal partners, as well as the crews from Philadelphia Building Trades working around the clock.
Fire crews were working on a portion of I-95 in North Philadelphia that collapsed during a large fire early Sunday. (FOX29 Philadelphia WTXF)
On Sunday, Shapiro announced with confidence that the highly-traveled stretch of highway would be reopened within the next two weeks.
PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR SAYS COLLAPSED PART OF I-95 IN PHILLY WILL REOPEN WITHIN 2 WEEKS
A section of the East Coast’s main north-south highway collapsed on June 11 after a tractor-trailer carrying gasoline flipped over on an off-ramp and caught fire. State transportation officials said the driver lost control attempting to navigate a curve.
President Biden said over the weekend that he directed his team to “move heaven and earth” to get I-95 back up as soon as “humanly possible,” adding there was “no more important project right now in the country,” as far as he was concerned.
This image provided by the Philadelphia Fire Department shows officials working on the scene following a truck fire on I-95, Sunday, June 11, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Philadelphia Fire Department via AP)
The quick-fix solution to getting I-95 opened back up includes hauling in 2,000 tons of lightweight glass nuggets and crews working around the clock.
I-95 COLLAPSE CAUSES HUGE TRAFFIC BACKUPS FOR PHILADELPHIA COMMUTERS
Rather than rebuild the overpass immediately, the governor said crews would use the recycled glass to fill in the collapsed area to avoid supply-chain delays for other materials.
All lanes of I-95 were closed in both directions between Woodhaven and Aramingo exits early Sunday due to a fire and subsequent road collapse, officials said. Human remains have been found at the site, authorities said Monday. (Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management)
Crews will then build a replacement bridge next to the filled gap to reroute traffic as crews excavate the fill to restore the exit ramp, according to officials.
To get the road open by the weekend, crews will work throughout the week to pave three new lanes in each direction.
