The state Department of Transportation recently marked another milestone in the repair of Interstate 95. The newly completed outer lanes of highway will come into full use shortly.
On June 11, a truck fire underneath the raised section of highway caused the complete collapse of the roadway. In 12 days a temporary overpass was built and opened to restore the main traffic artery between Bucks County and Center City.
It is that temporary portion of the roadway fix that was retired by the new outer lanes.
Administrators from PennDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the City of Philadelphia’s Transportation and Infrastructure Office were on hand to commemorate the accomplishment.
“Today serves as another example to all that Pennsylvania can do big things,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “Thanks to the dedication of the workers and continued coordination between the Shapiro administration, our federal partners and the City of Philadelphia, traffic continues to flow freely on I-95 and we are one step closer to restoring I-95 to its full capacity.”
Last week, construction barriers and lane lines were moved and traffic lanes shifted onto the new road surfaces.
Once the new traffic pattern is established, the temporary roadway will be dismantled and the recycled glass aggregate building materials that made it possible to restore traffic so quickly will be recovered for use in other projects on the rest of the I-95 corridor.
A permanent roadway will be built in the temporary structure’s place to allow the reopening of the Cottman Avenue off-ramp.
“The Federal Highway Administration is proud to join PennDOT and our state, local and private sector partners in Pennsylvania today to celebrate this important milestone marking the completion of the first stage of permanent repairs to I-95,” FHA Administrator Shailen Bhatt said. “We know that the I-95 corridor is a critical connection for people and goods traveling along the East Coast, and that’s why this work stands as a testament to what we can accomplish together with a whole of government approach to restore this vital link that is critical to our nation.”
