What to Know
- Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro has presented a reconstruction plan that is intended to get repairs to I-95 "done as quickly as possible."
- The gap left by the roadway collapse will soon be filled with backfill then paved to allow drivers back onto the highway.
- Shapiro could not provide a final completion date -- nor final cost -- for the reconstruction project.
As demolition of the damaged lanes along I-95 continues -- after parts of the highway in Northeast Philadelphia collapsed on Sunday when a tanker truck carrying gasoline exploded along a ramp on Cottman Avenue -- officials have determined just how they intend to get the roadway back in use.
On Wednesday, Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro joined union leaders at the site of the I-95 collapse to discuss an overall plan that would see the existing hole filled with locally-sourced backfill, that would then be paved over to restore six lanes of roadway.
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Yet, the governor did not provide specifics on when motorists could expect to be able to use this section of the roadway again, nor did he detail how much the project would cost.
"We are going to get this job done as quickly as possible," Shapiro reiterated several times on Wednesday, when asked for a specific timetable for the repairs.
Instead, Shapiro touted the cooperation between organizations that have made the effort possible. He also celebrated to expedited demolition plan that is expected to see the damaged sections of I-95 removed by Thursday -- a few days earlier than initially anticipated.
The governor explained that he's "a sports guy" and that the workers who will be undertaking this repair effort intend to work around the clock, seven days a week, until the repairs are complete.
"This is our championship and we are ready to go," the first-term Democrat said.
In detailing what will be done, the governor said that once demolition is complete, the gap left by the collapse will be backfilled before being paved to allow vehicles to return to the roadway.
Crews will not immediately rebuild the bridge, which is roughly 100-feet long and 150 feet wide.
Instead, workers will fill the gap by piling many tons of recycled glass aggregate from a Delaware County company into the underpass area, bringing it up to surface level and then paving it over so that three lanes of traffic can reopen each way, Shapiro said.
After that, a replacement bridge will be built next to it to reroute traffic while crews excavate the fill to restore the exit ramp, officials said.
Then, since he mentioned he's a "sports guy" could Shapiro at least provide a ballpark figure for how long the repairs could take to complete or how much would this project cost?
Even when pressed, Shapiro couldn't say for sure.
But, the governor said that the federal government will be covering the cost of these repairs.
Also, the state plans to have a live feed of a camera on the site throughout the construction process to allow the public to view the work as the site is being repaired.
Watch PennDOT's live cam from the collapse site.
The first truckloads of fill already arrived on Thursday morning.
During a visit to the site with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday, PennDOT's Mike Carroll promised the agency would deliver a rebuild plan at some point on Wednesday.
In reviewing the site, Buttigieg said that the federal government would provided anything that state agencies may need in order to get I-95 up and running, as the highway is a crucial thoroughfare for the county's supply chain stretching from Maine to Miami.
"There's no question in my mind that all the resources that PennDOT needs federally will be available," said Buttigieg on Tuesday.
Before Shapiro's visit to the site on Wednesday morning, Democratic Pa. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman, along with Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-2nd dist.) secured $3 million in emergency funding for PennDOT to be used on repairs associated with the I-95 collapse in Northeast Philadelphia.
A final estimate of costs associated with the reconstruction effort has not yet been released by PennDOT.
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