A tanker fire below an Interstate 95 overpass in Philadelphia caused the highway to collapse this weekend, forcing the closure of the major East Coast artery, which officials expect to take months to repair.
At least one vehicle was trapped below the fallen highway in Northeast Philadelphia around 6:20 a.m. Sunday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday evening.
“The northbound side of I-95 has completely collapsed,” the governor said in a news conference. “The southbound side is not structurally sound to carry any traffic over it.”
No injuries or deaths were reported, Shapiro said, but no details were available on the truck driver or company involved in the incident.
The collapse threatens to disrupt freight movement along the East Coast’s largest interstate. I-95 carries about 160,000 vehicles per day in the region, and trucks historically make up about 9% of the northbound traffic and 8% of the southbound traffic, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association is working with the state DOT to share updates with its member carriers and others passing through the area, President and CEO Rebecca Oyler said in a phone interview.
“It is an essential part of our highway network, and that makes it really critical for our trucking industry,” Oyler said.
The I-95 corridor supports about $2 trillion in domestic trade annually and reaches about 40% of the U.S. population, according to the Eastern Transportation Coalition, a partnership of 17 states and Washington, D.C.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the closure will cause “significant impacts” to both Philadelphia and the surrounding region until the roadway can be repaired.
This is a major artery for people and goods, and the closure will have significant impacts on the city and region until reconstruction and recovery are complete. Our department will be there with support throughout the process of I-95 returning to normal.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) June 11, 2023
The state transportation department and law enforcement have set up detours around the bridge collapse.
Northbound traffic is being detoured to Exit 22, to I-676 westbound, to I-76 westbound, to U.S. 1 northbound, to Pennsylvania Route 63 eastbound, back to I-95.
Southbound traffic is being detoured to Exit 35, to Pennsylvania 63 westbound, to U.S. 1 southbound, to I-76 eastbound, to I-676 eastbound, back to I-95.
The state trucking association is advocating for additional detours allowing trucks and other through traffic to bypass more of the local roads, Oyler said. One of the current detours has about 60 traffic lights, she estimated.
“If all the local traffic as well as the through truck traffic is using that alternative, that's gonna create a lot of congestion, obviously,” the association president said. “We are working with them actively on that right now.”
Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris asked those who cannot avoid driving on Philadelphia-area highways to “slow down, avoid distractions, and follow the direction of first responders.”
Shapiro issued a disaster declaration Monday to draw on federal funds to expedite rebuilding of the highway bridge. He said Pennsylvania’s state agencies are working “all hands on deck” in response to the agency, and Buttigieg pledged the federal transportation department’s support.
“We will rebuild and recover,” the governor said. “And in the meantime, we will make sure people can get to where they need to go safely.”
Editor's note: This story has been updated with details on historical truck traffic on I-95 in the area.
