Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro: "We Reopened I-95 In 12 Days"
Update (1400ET):
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro tweets, "Experts told us it would take months to reopen I-95. We reopened I-95 in 12 days."
Experts told us it would take months to reopen I-95. We reopened I-95 in 12 days.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) June 23, 2023
All thanks to the hard work of our extraordinary tradesmen and women and our all hands on deck approach. pic.twitter.com/QqDSWbgzap
Here's a live shot of vehicles crossing the bridge.
The government actually accomplished something in record time...
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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced Friday morning that a stretch of Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia would reopen at noon. The damaged bridge's rebuild is ahead of a two-week timeline and well before the initial estimates of 'months.'
Since the moment of the collapse, we’ve remained focused on rebuilding I-95 safely and as quickly as possible.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) June 23, 2023
Watch as we officially reopen I-95 with @PennDOTSec and some special guests, days ahead of schedule. https://t.co/vPVBvvkRXP
Around 1045 ET, a live feed of the bridge shows Gov. Shapiro, state officials, and construction workers gathered around reporters to announce the achievement of partially reopening the roadway that generally carries about 160,000 vehicles per day.
The June 11 crash of a tanker hauling thousands of gallons of gasoline that flipped on an off-ramp underneath the bridge caused officials to close the bridge for nearly two weeks while crews worked around the clock to complete the demolition and rebuilding work as soon as possible.
AP News described how crews were able to rebuild the temporary bridge so quickly while a permanent bridge will be constructed and reopen all lanes in the months ahead:
To get I-95 operating again as quickly as possible, workers used about 2,000 tons (1,814 metric tons) of lightweight glass nuggets to fill the underpass and bring it up to surface level, then paved over to create three lanes of travel in each direction. A permanent bridge will eventually be constructed.
Traffic data shows nightmarish conditions around the bridge.
Here's a live view of the bridge.
Reopening six lanes will alleviate some of the congestion.
