I-95 bridge in Philadelphia reopens less than two weeks after tanker truck explosion

The Interstate 95 bridge in Philadelphia destroyed by a tanker explosion less than two weeks ago is slated to re-open at noon today (Friday), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a press conference this morning.

Construction of a permanent replacement bridge to get traffic flowing again on the East Coast’s main north-south highway is expected to take months, so the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) elected to construct temporary lanes in both directions to allow traffic to return to the freeway while work on the adjacent span is underway.

PennDOT created an information portal on its website for updates on the repair efforts. On Thursday evening, the agency posted an update saying that travel restrictions on streets surrounding the overpass should lift on Friday as three temporary lanes will open in each direction on I-95. The new lanes are in place, and PennDOT is working to finalize median and barrier placement this morning before allowing traffic to re-enter the interstate. Temporary repair efforts were hampered this week by wet weather, which made curing asphalt and applying lane markings difficult. Pocono Raceway and NASCAR stepped up, providing one of its jet dryer trucks to aid in drying the surface.

The bridge collapsed early on June 11 after a fatal gasoline tanker truck crash started a massive blaze beneath the bridge that thoroughly compromised its structure. State transportation officials said the driver, who was killed, lost control around a curve. There were no other deaths or injuries.

The closure of an important commercial artery snarled traffic in and around Philadelphia and forced cars and trucks to detour around the area. State and federal officials pledged quick action to minimize the economic impact and inconvenience.

To get I-95 operating again as quickly as possible, workers used about 2,000 tons (1,814 metric 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.