The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) plans to reopen I-95 this weekend, two weeks ahead of schedule.
This week, crews have been paving three new lanes in each direction, and the Pennsylvania State Police has been escorting trucks carrying pavers to I-95.
“Based on the tremendous progress these crews made over the weekend and the time it takes to complete the remaining steps, I can now say that we will have I-95 back open this weekend,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said. “We have worked around the clock to get this done, and we’ve completed each phase safely and ahead of schedule.”
On June 11, a tanker truck crashed and exploded under I-95. The resulting fire caused the northbound bridge to collapse and severely compromised the southbound bridge, requiring the entire section, which carries approximately 160,000 vehicles daily on average, to be replaced.
Philadelphia Building Trades Crews have worked to complete the highway’s repairs, using ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregate to build up to surface level. The work schedule is possible because of the coordinated effort of PennDOT, the City of Philadelphia, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Biden administration.
Aggregate material was provided by a local Delaware County business. The business has provided the ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregate for use in the Philadelphia Navy Yard and on other projects in Pennsylvania as well as projects in New Jersey, Maine, and Rhode Island.
Demolition of the roadway was completed in four days.