Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said that he is confident that the collapsed portion of Interstate 95 will reopen to the public within two weeks following the incident last weekend.
Shapiro made the remarks on Saturday after joining United States President Joe Biden, who took a helicopter tour over the critical I-95 segment. The Pennsylvania governor said they are "getting it done here in Philly." His statement was made at a briefing held at the Philadelphia International Airport.
I-95 To Reopen Within Two Weeks
The Democratic president also outlined the substantial initial federal commitment and longer-term support for a permanent fix for the crucial roadway. He said that he knows how important the particular stretch of I-95 is to Philadelphia and the Northeast Corridor.
Biden said that there are more than 150,000 vehicles that travel on the portion of the interstate every single day, which includes 14,000 trucks. He argued that it is a vital asset to the United States economy and critical to Americans' quality of life, per the Associated Press.
The Pennsylvania governor offered a timeline expected to be welcome news to commuters and long-haul truckers using the I-95. With Biden by his side, Shapiro said that authorities are working to move traffic through the highway again.
Shapiro said that the people in the state have a "renewed sense of civic pride through this project." He added that something special happens in the Pennsylvania community where people have come together for a common goal.
A small portion of the I-95 collapsed early last Sunday after a tractor-trailer that was hauling gasoline flipped over on an off-ramp and caught ablaze. In a statement, state transportation officials said that the truck driver was trying to navigate a curve and lost control of the vehicle.
Emergency Funds for Construction
Authorities added extra cars to commuter trains, arranged detours, and offered free parking at some mass transit lots to ease traffic concerns. Biden also said that the federal government approved an additional $3 million in emergency funds to offset the cost of repairs, noting that more federal financial aid was coming, according to the New York Times.
Officials are using 2,000 tons of glass nuggets to reconstruct the portion of the interstate that collapsed, a material used to fill in the destroyed section. After that, they will build a replacement bridge next to it so that traffic can be rerouted while crews excavate the fill to restore the exit ramp.
The state's transportation secretary, Mike Carroll, said that the truck involved in the accident was carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline. The National Transportation Safety Board also sent a team of investigators that arrived in Pennsylvania on Sunday and were expected to issue a preliminary report on the incident in two to three weeks.
Carroll said that the intensity of the fire most likely resulted in the collapse of the portion of the I-95. CBS News said that the blazing heat generated by the blaze weakened the interstate's II-beams supporting the overpass.
