Bensalem Rejoices Over Interstate 95 Reopening

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —With Interstate 95 expected to reopen at noon Friday, township officials and residents are rejoicing that the days of detours might soon be in their rearview mirrors.

"I think they did an outstanding job getting it open again," Renee Dale told Patch in response to a question on the FYI Bensalem Facebook page.

PennDOT said paving started Wednesday night into Thursday morning after the backfill and barriers were installed on the collapsed and demolished portions of highway.

Bensalem drivers had shared their commuting stories with Patch after a section of the highway collapsed two weeks ago Sunday when a tanker exploded underneath the highway.

Gov. Josh Shapiro Tuesday said the temporary highway would be open by the weekend, but did not say what day due to weather conditions needed for paving work. The fix will feature three lanes on both northbound and southbound Interstate 95.

Bensalem Township officials stated at a recent council meeting that the highway's reconstruction could take six months.

Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo had asked residents for patience as PennDOT worked to fix the Interstate 95 section.

He was elated about the news that Interstate 95 may be moving with motorists once again.

"It shows what we can do when we want to get things done," DiGirolamo said. "I feel good about it. Everyone was on board. I wasn't quite that optimistic. They did a tremendous job. It's quite a relief for our residents who have been going through all the detours and even going to New Jersey. It's wonderful."

The mayor and council members said the township did not experience a "significant impact."

DiGirolamo said the reopening will "relieve some of the pressure on our streets," adding that the township had a lot more trucks using Street Road to get to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

"I would like to acknowledge the laborers working 24/7 to allow commuters access as quickly and safely as possible," Councilwoman Michelle Benitez. "They have done an incredible job rebuilding. We appreciate their dedication."

Steve Rosenberg was leaving as early as possible for work each day to cut down on the lengthy commute when there's less traffic. He said that the afternoon drive took longer since he took the New Jersey Turnpike to the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 95.

"I'm definitely happy to see it open sooner than later," he told Patch. "The afternoon rush is still going to be bad because it's 95. But the morning commute will be better."

TMA Bucks, Bucks County's transportation agency, also was pleased by the turnaround to get drivers back on the highway.

"We are encouraged by how local, state, and federal officials all came together to get this accomplished as soon as possible to avoid a long disruption to commuters," said Stephen Noll, TMA Bucks executive director said. "We still hope that commuters from Bucks County take advantage of SEPTA Regional Rail, telecommuting when they can, and utilizing the Share-A-Ride carpool network to cut down on congestion which nobody is a fan of. We can take this as a learning opportunity to explore other commute options that we normally might not have implemented."

Valerie Witzell, though, may still keep her newfound commute.

Witzell had been taking the Burlington Bristol Bridge to New Jersey to Route 130 south to the Ben Franklin Bridge.

"It has been smooth sailing," she told Patch. "I do also leave at 515 a.m. which helps. As for the reopening, I am excited and scared. I may keep my route for a little bit longer. I don’t have much confidence in this so I am not going to be the first driver on 95. I’m good."