I-95 to Reopen Ahead of Projected Two-Week Timeline
Less than two weeks after the collapse of a portion of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, the vital regional road has been reopened.
An elevated section of I-95 collapsed on June 11 after the driver of a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline lost control while navigating a curve on an off-ramp and flipped the truck. It caught fire and created a large plume of black smoke that could be seen in the distance.
The driver, Nathaniel “Nate” Moody, 53, died in the incident. He was a father of three and had more than a decade of trucking experience.
The northbound lanes of I-95 collapsed, and the southbound lanes were compromised, officials said after the incident.
As a major artery in Philadelphia and a key passage between New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, detours caused by this road closure created major headaches for commuters.
Immediately after the collapse, it seemed as if detours would become the norm for the long haul; normally, road construction projects of this size would take months or even a year.
Politics and Promises
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro flew over the wrecked road and held a press conference the day after the event, giving an update on the situation and vowing to fast-track the rebuilding effort.
President Joe Biden, who was in Pennsylvania for a campaign event, flew over I-95 in a helicopter on Saturday, June 17, before joining Shapiro, U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey, and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney for a press conference.
Biden called the repair of I-95 his top infrastructure priority. Then Shapiro made a bold promise that the road would be open within two weeks. Just six days later, Friday, June 23, Shapiro held another news conference announcing the reopening of I-95 at Noon on Friday. In total, I-95 was closed for 12 days.
Before opening the road, there was another press conference on the southbound side of the new I-95.
“Let this serve as an example of how Pennsylvania can do big things,” Shapiro said in the press conference. “When we come together, when we’re determined, we can get stuff done.”
He thanked numerous people, including firefighters who responded to the massive fire, union workers who did the work on the road, engineers who made the design and lawyers from the Office of General Counsel who “cut through the red tape to get things done.”
More Work Needed
Shapiro had live cameras on the road work so citizens could watch the progress. Crews worked around the clock. Pennsylvania State Police escorted trucks carrying paving equipment to the work site to make sure they got there safely and quickly. And when it rained but they needed asphalt to dry fast, jet dryers from Pocono Raceway were brought in to save time. The special jet dryers, carried in the back of pick-up trucks, are used to blow dry the “tricky triangle” track during NASCAR races after it rains.
For now, the new road is narrower than before, spanning three 11-foot lanes in each direction. Work will continue while traffic flows.
“Please take your time going through this zone,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll said in the press conference. “A lot of effort and energy was [put] into getting this done for us in a quick way. I know everybody goes fast, sometimes I do too. But the reality is, I hope everybody can just go through this at a safe speed and keep each other safe. And while we do that, PennDOT and our team will continue our efforts to construct the facility on either side of this structure in an effort to restore 95 to its full capacity in the very near future.”
In a well-orchestrated photo opportunity, the first vehicle on the road Friday was the first firetruck to respond to the fire that caused the damage.
