Part of Interstate 95 collapsed on Sunday after a tanker truck caught fire beneath the roadway, causing an overpass for northbound lanes to come crashing down and compromising the southbound lane overpass as well. The portion of I-95, in northeastern Philadelphia, is now being rebuilt, which is little immediate consolation for the tens of thousands of cars that used the roadway per day before the collapse.
It is likely to be weeks before the roadway is rebuilt, though in the meantime Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said Thursday that the state would post a livestream of the construction. True to his word, that livestream is now up and running, showing crews hard at work.
Last night, Shapiro’s office said that they had completed demolition of the site, days ahead of schedule. Next up is the actual rebuilding:
On Wednesday, Governor Shapiro detailed his Administration’s plan to rebuild I-95 in a safe and efficient manner – including the critical goal of completing the demolition ahead of schedule. As a result of [Transporation Secretary Michael Carroll’s] leadership and the 24/7 work on the ground, this demolition has been completed well in advance of initial projections.
Now that demolition has been completed, Philadelphia-based Buckley & Company will begin to fill in the damaged area in order to rebuild the new section of road on top. PennDOT employees and contractors will continue to work 24/7 to complete this work safely and efficiently so the roadway can be reopened as quickly as possible.
For many local commuters, this stretch of I-95 is vital, though those passing through — say from New York to Wilmington, Baltimore, or D.C., are less likely to be impacted, given alternate routes to those cities like Interstate 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike.
Pennsylvania is planning a temporary bridge for the site of three lanes in each direction — previously it was four lanes each — until a permanent bridge is built. According to CBS News Philadelphia, the temporary bridge will be partially made of locally-sourced recycled glass.