As I-95 Remains Closed, Middletown Commuter & Others Adjust While Officials Look To Rebuild

Robert Bond hopped on SEPTA’s West Trenton Regional Rail Line from the Langhorne Train Station Monday morning. It was his first trip to Center City on the train since before the pandemic.

Bond has been driving to his software developer job in Philadelphia since his company resumed an in-person office policy in 2022.

The collapse of one side of I-95 and closure of the other after a massive fuel fire Sunday morning led to Bond using public transit again for his commute.

“Once I saw the overpass collapsed on Channel 3 yesterday (Sunday), I knew I wasn’t going to be driving down there from here,” he told LevittownNow.com.

Bond, who lives in Middletown Township, said the train ride wasn’t bad and he’s still deciding whether he will keep taking the train or resume driving to the city as detours are established.

“I’m going to take it day-by-day,” he said. “Maybe they’ll get the overpass back up sooner than we all think.”

In anticipation of commuters like Bond, SEPTA increased capacity on the Trenton and West Trenton lines that run through Lower Bucks County. They also deployed staff to local stations to assist people who may not often take Regional Rail.

Philadelphia and state officials implemented detours and worked to direct traffic that normally takes I-95 for the Monday morning and evening commutes.

The highway closure is seven miles long and starts not far from the Bucks County border.

Traffic was reported to be heavy on the detour routes.

PennDOT detour information:

PennDOT has detour routes in place in the area:

• I-95 Southbound: Route 63 West (Woodhaven Road), U.S. 1 South, 76 East, 676 East
• I-95 Northbound: I-676 West, I-76 West, U.S. 1 North to Route 63 East (Woodhaven Road) 

Additionally, Philadelphia police will have the following closures and detours in place if you are traveling on I-95 in the area of the Cottman Avenue exit. Police will be located along the detour route.

Local businesses and deliveries will be provided access. If business owners have any questions or issues, they can contact the Office of Business Services at 215-683-2100

Expect delays along the detour and note these are subject to change:

• Castor Avenue on-ramp for I-95 northbound
  • Closed
• Aramingo Avenue/I-95 on and off-ramps
  • On-ramp to I-95 northbound closed
  • Betsy Ross off-ramp to I-95 northbound closed
• Bridge Street ramp
  • I-95 on-ramp at Bridge Street closed.
  • All traffic on Tacony Street will flow northbound only from Bridge Street to New State Road.
• Tacony Street and Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
  • Tacony Palmyra Bridge traffic onto Tacony Street closed. All traffic continues westbound onto Levick Street.
• Cottman Avenue exit and State Road closures
  • State Road from Cottman Avenue to Longshore Avenue will be one-way, southbound travel only.
• Southbound I-95 detour
  • Exit I-95 southbound at Cottman Avenue.
  • At the end of the ramp, right on Bleigh Street.
  • Follow Bleigh to State Road, make a left onto State.
  • Travel State Road South to Longshore Avenue.
  • Re-enter I-95 southbound at State Road and Longshore Avenue.
• Northbound I-95 detour
  • Exit I-95 at Aramingo Avenue.
  • At the end of the ramp, make a left onto Aramingo Avenue.
  • Follow Aramingo Avenue to Tacony Street. Turn right.
  • Take Tacony Street northbound around Tacony-Palmyra Bridge loop to New State Road. Continue northbound.
  • Travel New State Road to Milnor Street and re-enter I-95 northbound.

For more on detour routes and related information, visit www.pa.gov/i95updates.

Due to the fire, the northbound lanes of the highway in Philadelphia collapsed onto the Cottman Avenue ramp, while the southbound lanes were heavily damaged from the fire and heat, officials said.

According to 6abc, Nathaniel Moody was identified as the driver of the tanker truck that burnt in the flames under the overpass. He was reported to be presumed killed in the fire.

On Monday evening, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed a body was found and said it was in the hands of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.

No drivers on I-95 above were hurt.

City, state, and federal authorities were on the scene Sunday and Monday.

Demolition on the north and south sides of I-95 was underway on Monday.

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said demolition of the two directions of I-95 will be completed in four to five days.

“Crews will work around the clock to ensure that demolition and reconstruction occurs quickly and efficiently, and that the roadway will reopen as soon as possible,” a PennDOT statement said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said PennDOT officials will be looking at interim solutions to return traffic to I-95, but rebuilding the section of highway will take “some time.”

Shapiro signed a disaster declaration to flow additional resources to the site. He also spoke to President Joe Biden, who assured the governor the federal government is committed to get the highway reopened.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Middletown Township, said he spoke Monday with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the collapse and closure.

“If you are traveling along the I-95 corridor in the coming days and weeks, please pay close attention to local traffic alerts as we expect significant regional traffic impact,” Buttigieg said in a statement.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to get I-95 back up and running because we know how important this interstate is to commerce, economies, and quality of life for everyone along the northeast corridor,” said Shailen Bhatt, the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, who visited the collapse site with U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, on Monday.

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