I-95 Reopens Ahead of Projected 2-Week Timeline

Firefighters respond to the scene of a collapse of Interstate 95, after a vehicle caught fire, in Philadelphia on June 11, 2023. Courtesy of KYW

Less than two weeks after the collapse of a portion of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, the vital regional road reopened to traffic thanks to state and federal leaders’ efforts to fast-track the rebuilding project.

“Let this serve as an example of how Pennsylvania can do big things,” Pennsylvania Josh Gov. Shapiro said at a news conference ahead of the reopening. “When we come together, when we’re determined, we can get stuff done.”

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 the truck flipped over and caught fire, creating a large plume of black smoke that could be seen from a 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.

I-95 is a major artery for Philadelphia and a key route in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, so detours caused by the section’s closure created major headaches for commuters and other travelers.

Immediately after the collapse, it seemed as if detours would become the norm for the long haul; normally, road construction projects of this size take months or even a year. However, political leaders made it a priority to get the roadway rebuilt as quickly as possible.

Politics and Promises

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visits the site of a collapsed section of Interstate 95, in Philadelphia, on June 13, 2023. Commonwealth Media Service

Shapiro flew over the wrecked road the day after the collapse before 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 June 17 before joining Shapiro, Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey, and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney for a news 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, on June 23, Shapiro held another news conference announcing the reopening of I-95 that day. In total, I-95 was closed for 12 days.

Before the road’s reopening, there was another news conference on the southbound side of the new I-95 section.

Shapiro thanked numerous people, including the firefighters who had responded to the massive fire, the union workers who had worked on the road, the engineers who had made the design, and the lawyers from the Office of General Counsel who had “cut through the red tape to get things done.”

More Work Needed

Gov. Josh Shapiro, along with officials from the Shapiro Administration, the City of Philadelphia, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, provide an update on the emergency response to the vehicle fire on the Route 73/Cottman Avenue ramp under Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, on  June 11, 2023. Commonwealth Media Service

State officials had live cameras aimed at the road work site so that 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 that they got there safely and quickly. When it rained and workers needed asphalt to dry quickly, jet dryers from Pocono Raceway were brought in to avoid lost work 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 rain.

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 during the news 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 June 23 was the first firetruck to respond to the fire that caused the damage.