I-95 To Fully Reopen Friday After June 2023 Fire, Collapse

PHILADELPHIA — The portion of Interstate 95 that collapsed after a deadly truck crash and fire in June 2023 is reopening to full capacity Friday.

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, and other officials commemorated the completion of the permanent repairs to I-95 in northeast Philadelphia, less than a year after the collapse.

All lanes will open at 5 a.m. Friday, weather permitting. Additionally, one lane on the newly constructed ramp from northbound I-95 to Cottman Avenue will open Friday, just in time for holiday weekend travel.

The new bridge and ramp replace the ones that were destroyed in a June 11, 2023, tanker truck crash and fire that killed Nathaniel "Nate" Moody, 53, of New Jersey.

I-95 traffic was restored to three lanes of traffic in each direction after a temporary roadway was constructed in the center of the interstate in just 12 days.

The outer sections on the northbound and southbound sides of the bridge were then rebuilt before I-95 traffic was shifted from the temporary center lanes, onto the completed, outer sections of the new bridge last November.

"Today serves as another example to all that Pennsylvania can do big things," Carroll said. "Thanks to the dedication of the workers and incredible coordination between the Shapiro Administration, our federal partners, and the City of Philadelphia, traffic flowed freely on I-95 throughout construction and we were able to restore the roadway to full capacity less than a year after the tragic fire and collapse."

"Thanks to the tireless work of local, state, and federal partners, and union crews working around the clock, we are thrilled to celebrate the complete re-opening of I-95 in Philadelphia," Bhatt said. "The Biden-Harris Administration committed to do everything possible to help Pennsylvania reopen this highway as quickly as possible. Today’s opening is a testament to the strength of our partnerships and resolve to keep one of our nation’s busiest highways open for the traveling public."

When both lanes of the northbound ramp to Cottman Avenue are complete, it will feature enhanced traffic safety measures such as new signage and High Friction Surface Treatment. High Friction Surface Treatment is a treatment added to the top of a road surface that creates more friction on the pavement, helping keep vehicles in their lane and improving stopping distance around curves or other locations where wet pavement may contribute to crashes. High Friction Surface Treatment is a Federal Highway Administration Every Day Counts innovation that PennDOT has implemented across Pennsylvania, with data showing that the treatment decreases fatal and injury crashes where it is installed.

Drivers are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work area because backups and delays will occur. All scheduled activities are weather-dependent.

See previous coverage on the collapse below:

• Disaster Emergency Declared In Interstate 95 Collapse
• NTSB Issues Preliminary Report On I-95 Crash, Collapse
• Tractor Trailer Crash, Fireball Under I-95 Bridge Captured On Video
• Body Pulled From I-95 Collapse Wreckage
• I-95 To Be Backfilled, Paved For Quick Return Of Traffic
• Delco Business Providing Key Material For I-95 Rebuild
• I-95 Demolition Complete, Temporary Highway Rendering Released