The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently set the first beams in northeast Philadelphia for the permanent reconstruction of Interstate 95.
The southbound beams were installed on Aug. 29 and the northbound beams were installed on Thursday. The next step in the process is to build the outer bridge decks.
A fire caused the roadway to collapse on June 11. On June 23, a temporary roadway with six lanes opened to traffic.
The project is expected to be completed in the spring with three lanes of traffic maintained in both directions throughout construction.
This fall, traffic will be shifted from the temporary roadway onto the outer decks. Once completed, crews will begin building the permanent structure and the Cottman Avenue off-ramp will open.
Recycled glass aggregate in use in the temporary roadway will be reused in other projects along the I-95 corridor.
“Today serves as another example to all that Pennsylvania can do big things,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said during an event commemorating the project. “This section of Interstate 95 supports 160,000 trips every day, and we worked around the clock to reopen the temporary roadway and got traffic flowing again in record time. Thanks to the dedication of the workers and continued coordination between the Shapiro Administration, our federal partners and the city of Philadelphia, we are one step closer to restoring I-95 to its full capacity.”