Credit: PA Internet News Service
Gov. Josh Shapiro said late Wednesday morning that crews are working at a breakneck pace to get I-95 reopened after a fuel truck explosion and fire crippled two overpasses in Philadelphia.
Demolition of the collapsed northbound lanes has been completed, while contractors were hard at work Wednesday removing the damaged southbound lanes that go over the ramp where the wreck happened.
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Shapiro, a Democrat, said crews have been working around the clock to get the debris cleared and the highway, one of the busiest in the nation, reopened for traffic.
With demolition slated to finish Thursday, crews will backfill the gaps and allow for paving to reopen the highway to traffic.
“We will have completed the demo in four days, not the week or more that was initially expected,” Shapiro said.
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Surrounded by government officials, construction company representatives, and union members, the governor said the backfilled highway will be temporary and be in place until a permanent structure for both directions is completed.
“They are prepared to work 24/7 to get this completed,” Shapiro said.
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Pennsylvania State Police will begin escorting trucks with the fill used for the temporary repair starting Thursday. The special fill is being brought to the site from Delaware County.
Due to I-95’s importance to the life and economy of the city, region, and nation, crews will work to get the project done as soon as possible, the governor said.
Shapiro said crews will be “working their tails off,” but he didn’t give an exact timeline.
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“We’re working as quickly as possible … we aren’t wasting a single second,” he said.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said the Cottman Avenue ramp where the fire happened will be blocked by the temporary crossing, but that will eventually be removed and the ramp will be reopened when the project is completed.
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The southbound and northbound lanes of I-95 will remain three lanes with the temporary and permanent structures.
Carroll said it was impressive to see how quickly PennDOT and contracted officials have come up with solutions.
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The crash happened just before 6:30 a.m. Sunday when a truck filled with fuel crashed and exploded. The driver of the truck was killed, and the cause of the crash is under investigation by state police and federal transportation officials.
A New Jersey trucking company owned the tanker truck, but officials did not state whether they will have to put money toward the repairs.
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A disaster declaration signed by Shapiro on Monday freed up funding and cleared red tape to allow cleanup and repair work to move forward.
The Federal Highway Administration announced on Wednesday that they have devoted $3 million in emergency funds for the project. The state has $7 million they are able to use.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on the scene Tuesday. He said the federal government has pledged support for the project, noting I-95’s impact on the nation.
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President Joe Biden and Shapiro have spoken about the collapse and the president committed federal resources to the project, Shapiro said.
Shapiro explained that the federal government has committed to cover the costs of replacing the 10-year-old section of I-95 that was damaged and collapsed.
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The state has signed an open-ended contract with contractors to get the project completed. The nature of the contract is due to the emergency situation.
Traffic has been a nightmare due to the seven-mile closure that starts just past the Bucks County border.
State police and Philadelphia police have been working to direct drivers on detours.
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SEPTA has increased capacity on the West Trenton and Trenton Regional Rail lines in Lower Bucks County to ease congestion.
A federal official who spoke Wednesday said officials in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland have been coordinating with PennDOT to advise drivers of the I-95 closure.
When asked by reporters about safety on the temporary backfilled structure, Shapiro said experts have designed it to be safe and drivers should not worry.
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Carroll said the fill used in the temporary fix is a glass mix and will be able to be reused for other projects once I-95 is fixed.
“Philly is a sports town and I am a sports guy. I love to play. I love to watch, and I am competitive as hell. I want to get this road reopened as quickly as possible. I’m competitive, just like this great city,” Shapiro said. “This is our championship and we are ready to go.”
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