PennDOT has officially completed permanent repairs to I-95 in northeast Philadelphia, less than a year after a devastating fire caused a section of the highway to collapse.
Advertisements
An event Thursday marked the reopening and was attended by PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, and various city and regional officials.
A full restoration of I-95 traffic on all lanes of the highway happened early Friday morning, according to PennDOT.
The highway collapse occurred on June 11, 2023, when a tanker truck crash and subsequent fire destroyed a portion of the roadway. The driver of the truck was killed.
Advertisements
Due to the damage to the major interstate highway, a temporary roadway was constructed in just 12 days. It restored traffic to three lanes in each direction and drew national attention.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, alongside Secretary Carroll, coordinated a state, local, and federal response to reopen the highway, officials said.
Advertisements
The new bridge and ramp, which replace those destroyed in the incident, are now fully operational. One lane on the newly constructed ramp from northbound I-95 to Cottman Avenue also opened in time for the holiday weekend travel surge.
“Today serves as another example to all that Pennsylvania can do big things,” Carroll said. “Thanks to the dedication of the workers and incredible coordination between the Shapiro Administration, our federal partners, and the City of Philadelphia, traffic flowed freely on I-95 throughout construction and we were able to restore the roadway to full capacity less than a year after the tragic fire and collapse.”
The reconstruction project received support from President Joe Biden and federal funds.
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
