Interstate 95 reopened Friday less than two weeks after a deadly collapse in Philadelphia, a quicker-than-expected rebuild to get traffic flowing again on a heavily traveled stretch of the East Coast's main north-south highway. Workers put the finishing touches on an interim six-lane roadway that will serve motorists during construction of a permanent bridge. Crews worked around the clock and wrapped up ahead of schedule, allaying fears that the critical highway would be closed for many weeks, the AP reports. Traffic began flowing in one direction a little past 12:30pm Friday, according to live video from the site, and all lanes were open a short time later.
"This was a moment of civic pride for Philly and Pennsylvania," Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference at the site, adding, "We show that when we work together, we can get s- done here in Pennsylvania." A procession of fire engines—one carrying Philadelphia's pro sports mascots—and police vehicles then crossed the northbound lanes of I-95, christening the new roadway as hard-hatted construction workers looked on. Motorists were relieved. "The traffic has been horrible," said Dean Chamberlain, gassing up at a station just off the interstate. The elevated section of I-95 collapsed on June 11 after a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline flipped on an off-ramp and caught fire. State transportation officials said the driver, who was killed, lost control on a curve.
The closure snarled traffic in and around Philadelphia and threatened to raise the cost of consumer goods as truckers were forced to detour around the area. To get I-95 operating again as quickly as possible, workers used about 2,000 tons of lightweight glass nuggets to fill the underpass and bring it up to surface level, then paved over to create three lanes of travel in each direction. The 24-hour construction work was livestreamed, drawing thousands of viewers online. "We enjoy doing the work, getting things done like this and making sure that we get Philly back up on its feet," construction worker April Allen said Friday, high-fiving colleagues as the first vehicles crossed the new roadway. The state Department of Transportation has updates and live video of the site here.
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