I-95 To Be Backfilled, Paved For Quick Return Of Traffic

PHILADELPHIA — State and local officials said Wednesday the collapsed and demolished portion of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia will be backfilled and paved over in an effort to get traffic flowing again.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, and others made the announcement during a news conference Wednesday at the site of the incident.

Buckley & Company will deliver fill material from Delaware County to the site on Thursday to fill in the damaged area in order to rebuild the new section of road on top.

Abbonizio Contractors was hired to handle the demolition and is expected to have the demolition completed on Thursday.

Once the backfill is in place, crews will pave a new stretch of road. Shapiro said the temporary highway will be three lanes on Interstate 95 north and south.

A live feed is being set up and will operate 24/7 so the public can watch the rebuilding process in real-time. the live feed will be publicly available later this week.

Restoring traffic on the impacted portion of highway, which sees about 160,000 vehicles daily, will allow people and goods to continue moving throughout the region.

"When I visited this site just a few hours after the fire and collapse on Sunday, I made it clear that my Administration would lead a coordinated response to reopen I-95 safely and as efficiently as possible," Shapiro said. "Getting I-95 repaired and reopened is our top priority – and we are working our tails off. Under the leadership of Secretary Carroll, and with the support of our federal and local partners and the talented trades workers right here in Philadelphia, we are moving full steam ahead. Government is working for the good people of Pennsylvania. We have a lot do to, and together, we will get this done."

While the temporary set up is under construction and in place, officials will develop their plan to restore the collapsed and demolished overpass. A timeline for completion of the temporary highway and the permanent solution has not been established. Crews are working nonstop to get traffic as close to normal as possible while solutions are being developed.

Interstate 95 north collapsed Sunday morning after a tractor trailer hauling 8,500 gallons of gasoline crashed and caught fire.

The fire compromised the integrity of steel I-beams under the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway.

Southbound I-95 did not collapse, but was severely damaged to the point where demolition was needed.

The truck driver, Nathan Moody, 53, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, died in the crash.