I-95 Reopens 12 Days After Catastrophic Bridge Failure

What happened: With three ARTBA member firms working on repairs, Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia reopened June 23, a mere 12 days after a gasoline tanker truck flipped over, caught fire, and destroyed a bridge over an exit ramp.

Why it matters: The accident forced closure on a stretch that carries 160,000 vehicles per day, disrupting commutes, plaguing truckers with long detours, and exacting an economic toll with disruption to a major East Coast highway.

Initial projections had the artery closed for months. Executive Vice President of Associated Pennsylvania Constructors Robert Latham credits Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation (PennDOT) with an innovative European solution using foam glass backfill that’s now being deployed in the U.S.

‘I like to say that the transportation construction industry is capable of miracles, but I don’t think anyone thought a temporary replacement road to carry interstate highway traffic could be built in two weeks,’ Latham said. ‘It’s a testament to everyone who stepped up to address this crisis immediately, and to lessen the possibility of traffic congestion and supply-chain problems that could have arisen if even that short stretch of highway was closed for multiple months.’

ARTBA members on the job included: Philadelphia-based Buckley & Company and James Anderson, and Chicago-based Benesch. Also involved in the repair was Eddystone, Pa.-based AeroAggregates of North America.

What’s next: PennDOT plans to build a permanent replacement bridge. Crews will then excavate the fill and restore the off-ramp.

Pictured above: Federal Highway Administration Administrator Shailen Bhatt (left) earlier inspected the I-95 bridge collapse remains. Source: Federal Highway Administration Twitter page.