Philadelphia will have I-95 repaired within 2 weeks, says governor

A collapsed section of Interstate 95 in north Philadelphia is expected to reopen within the next two weeks, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro shared the news Saturday after accompanying President Biden on a helicopter ride over the collapsed overpass, which has been closed since last weekend.

“We are getting it done here in Philly,” Shapiro said during a press briefing after the helicopter tour.

Biden described the federal government’s interest in the essential roadway, stating, “I know how important this stretch of highway is.”

“Over 150,000 vehicles travel on it every day, including 14,000 trucks. … It’s critical to our economy and it’s critical to our quality of life,” Biden said.

Shapiro said that he was able to “state with confidence” that I-95 would be reopened by July 1 at the latest.

The overpass collapsed last Sunday when a tractor-trailer carrying gasoline crashed and caught fire beneath it.

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State officials reported that the incident occurred when the driver was attempting to turn and lost control of the vehicle.

“There’s no more important project right now in the country as far as I’m concerned,” Biden said.

Officials also discussed the details of Pennsylvania’s plan for a speedy rebuilding of the highway.

Roughly 2,000 tons of lightweight glass fragments to build a viaduct to replace the collapsed overpass, Shapiro said.

Following that, replacement bridges will be installed next to the viaduct site.

Biden described the design as “incredibly innovative in order to get this work done in record time.”

With News Wire Services