I-95 Collapse: Everything We Know So Far

PHILADELPHIA — State and local officials are grappling with the aftermath of Sunday's collapse of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. The repercussions of the collapse, which has closed the highway in both directions, will be felt for months, officials said.

Here is everything we know so far about the collapse, detours for travel, and when you can expect the road to reopen:

What Happened

The collapse happened Sunday morning, after a tractor trailer hauling 8,500 gallons of gasoline crashed on the Route 73/Cottman Avenue ramp at around 6:20 a.m. The crash sparked a fire, and the heat from the blazed caused the highway to collapse, closing the highway in both directions indefinitely.

It's unclear if speed was a factor in the crash.

Northbound I-95 completely collapsed, while the southbound interstate was rendered structurally unsound due to the fire. The interstate remains closed in both directions. The fire was under control in about an hour's time.

Officials said the bridge that collapsed was built 10 to 12 years ago.

So far, no injuries have been reported in the incident. However, the truck driver is still unaccounted for as the tractor trailer is still trapped under debris from the collapse.

Human remains were found at the scene Monday.

Multiple outlets report the driver was 51-year-old Nathaniel Moody, who was driving the truck for a New Jersey-based company.

Due to the truck's contents, runoff from the incident entered the Delaware River but was being mitigated by the Coast Guard. The incident did not affect drinking water quality, according to the Philadelphia Water Department.

How Long Will The Closure Last

Gov. Josh Shapiro Sunday said the repairs are likely to take months. He made a disaster declaration Monday in response to the incident.

"The complete rebuilding of the I-95 roadway is expected to take a number of months," Shapiro's office said in a statement. "The Administration will have a more exact timeline in the coming days once the engineers complete their review."

The disaster declaration will expedite the process and "cut through the red tape" by allowing the state to immediately draw down federal funds and move quickly to begin the repair and reconstruction process.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll said demolition of the impacted portion of road will begin Monday.

Demolition is expected to take four or five days, Carroll said.

"PennDOT's contractor will work 24/7 in an effort to speed up the solution set," he said.

The timeline for reconstruction is unknown at this time.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the collapse and federal authorities have offered assistance. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was also monitoring the collapse and tweeted he had spoken with Shapiro.

Alternative Travel Options

Interstate 95 carries about 160,000 vehicles per day in that area, Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll said. During the closure, southbound drivers are being detoured to Route 63 West/Woodhaven Road, U.S. 1 South, then Interstates 76 East and 676 East.

Northbound drivers are detoured to Interstates 676 West and 76 West, then U.S. 1 North and Route 63 East. PennDOT has full details on the detour online here. (A full list of closures and detour routes is below.)

Google Map routes that would typically take drivers on Interstate 95 are circumventing the highway completely. For example, drivers heading from Trenton to the Philadelphia International Airport would be directed to travel on Interstate 295 to the Walt Whitman Bridge to arrive at the airport.

Google also suggests the same traveler take U.S. Route 1, to Interstate 276, to Interstate 476, then Interstate 95 North to the airport. Additionally, Google is recommending drivers in Philadelphia looking to get to suburbs such as Bucks County to take Roosevelt Boulevard to avoid the highway closure.

SEPTA is adding capacity on its Trenton, West Trenton and Fox Chase lines, and will temporarily bus the Cynwyd line. Free parking is also available at the Fern Rock, Fox Chase, and Torresdale SEPTA stations.

Residents in the area of the collapse should expect delays in their trash and recycling collections.

Closures and detours

Castor Avenue on-ramp for I-95 northbound

• Closed

Aramingo Avenue/I-95 on and off-ramps

• On-ramp to I-95 northbound closed
• Betsy Ross off-ramp to I-95 northbound closed

Bridge Street ramp

• I-95 on-ramp at Bridge Street closed.
• All traffic on Tacony Street will flow northbound only from Bridge Street to New State Road.

Tacony Street and Tacony-Palmyra Bridge

• Tacony Palmyra Bridge traffic onto Tacony Street closed. All traffic continues westbound onto Levick Street.

Cottman Avenue exit and State Road closures

• State Road from Cottman Avenue to Longshore Avenue will be one-way, southbound travel only.

Southbound I-95 detour

• Exit I-95 southbound at Cottman Avenue.
• At the end of the ramp, right on Bleigh Street.
• Follow Bleigh to State Road, make a left onto State.
• Travel State Road South to Longshore Avenue.
• Re-enter I-95 southbound at State Road and Longshore Avenue.

Northbound I-95 detour

• Exit I-95 at Aramingo Avenue.
• At the end of the ramp, make a left onto Aramingo Avenue.
• Follow Aramingo Avenue to Tacony Street. Turn right.
• Take Tacony Street northbound around Tacony-Palmyra Bridge loop to New State Road. Continue northbound.
• Travel New State Road to Milnor Street and re-enter I-95 northbound.