Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated this week that a section of Interstate 95 (I-95) that was damaged by a gasoline tanker collision ten days ago will partly reopen this weekend. Crews have been working around the clock to repair a crucial portion of the roadway, making this news come considerably earlier than planned.
Unexpectedly Quick Reopening
Earlier this month, a gasoline tanker incident and related fire caused an elevated section of I-95 in northern Philadelphia to collapse, killing one person.
About 160,000 cars use the fallen portion every day, and it has been blocked indefinitely in both directions for miles after the collapse. More than 100,000 people who utilize the bridge every day had their commutes severely disrupted when the structure crumbled.
Finally, according to Shapiro, "Our commuters will finally be able to set their Monday morning [June 26] alarm clocks back to the regular time. Our struggling local businesses here will hopefully be filled again."
As one frustrated commuter put it, "There is a lot of inconvenience, detours, and everyone is having a hard time," Chico Robinson told CBS News.
Engineers used a substance called recycled glass aggregate to fill up the space left by the fallen bridge and pave the path for the creation of new lanes. The recycled bottles and jars were transformed into a rock-like substance that was utilized in the repair process.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll expressed full faith in the building approach, saying, "I have 100% confidence in its ability to withstand the traffic."
An engineering professor at the University of Delaware, Michael Chajes, said it is difficult to avoid catastrophic damage in events like this.
"It's hard to fire-proof a bridge. There's no prohibition against the types of vehicles that go over it. There's no ban on, on vehicles that might be very combustible," Chajes stated.
Philadelphia Bridge Collapse
From Miami to the Canadian border in Maine, I-95 is a major freeway that stretches along the East Coast of the US. Four short years ago, a $212 million rebuilding project included the bridge in question, and the damage is already apparent.
On Sunday morning, June 11, a big tanker truck caught fire beneath I-95 near Philadelphia, causing a portion of the roadway to collapse. Black smoke could be seen rising from the blaze in local and online media accounts of the incident.
The disaster happened in Northeast Philadelphia, close to the exit onto Cottman Avenue. Highway authorities stopped both directions of traffic between the Woodhaven and Aramingo exits, advising motorists to find an alternative route.
Officials later discovered a corpse in the rubble. The truck driver killed in the collision, fire, and collapse on I-95 was identified by family members as Nathaniel Moody, according to ABC News.
