TRN continues to track coverage of the restoration of the collapsed I-95 segment in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Inquirer and Associated Press report that a temporary repair was accomplished and the damaged interstate segment reopened at approximately 1:00 PM EDST today, less than two weeks after an overpass collapsed in the heat of a tanker truck fire.
The New York Times reports on the temporary six-lane roadway segment that rests atop 2,000 tons of crushed glass. There’s still no word on when the permanent replacement will take place, but the article notes the intense public appetite for news and updates about related developments: Some bars have even started showing PennDOT’s livestream of the demolition-turned-construction site. The speed of the repair is a political boon for Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D), whose administration is making the most of the moment.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday on the swift progress of restoration work. “‘We haven’t always had a can-do attitude around here, that we can get big things done, that we can get it done quickly and safely,” Shapiro told reporters earlier this week. “We’re going to change that attitude of people being surprised to folks expecting excellence from us.’” The article noted that the recycled glass material that was key to the initial repair was also used at Philadelphia International Airport to create an overnight parking apron for planes. And despite national focus on the bridge site itself, a pair of nearby exits will remain closed to accommodate permanent repair of the highway.
“New Civil Engineer” provides a more detailed outline of each stage of work that’s progressed since the collapse. Governor Shapiro credits coordination among local, state and federal partners — as well as crews working around the clock — for the swift reopening. The bridge in question was only 10 years old and reportedly structurally sound, but a National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the collapse is underway.