Traffic To Resume On I-95 This Weekend: Gov Josh Shapiro

PHILADELPHIA — The temporary highway fix on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia will be open this weekend.

That's according to Gov. Josh Shapiro, who made the announcement at the construction site Tuesday.

Shapiro, just days after projecting the highway would be open in two weeks, said progress made over the last 72 hours and estimated completion time for remaining work led him to make the announcement.

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"Based on the tremendous progress these crews made over the weekend and the time it takes to complete the remaining steps, I can now say that we will have I-95 back open this weekend," Shapiro said. "We have worked around the clock to get this done, and we’ve completed each phase safely and ahead of schedule. That’s all due to the incredible coordination with our local, state, and federal partners – and thanks to the hard-working men and women of the Philadelphia Building Trades who are making this happen."

Shapiro could not say what day the road will be open, citing weather conditions needed for paving and line painting.

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As Shapiro spoke Tuesday at the site, cranes were lifting barriers into place along the new road.

Barrier installation on the east side of Interstate 95 is expected to be completed Tuesday night, and the west side is expected to be completed Wednesday.

After the barriers are installed, a sub-base will be added to hold the barriers in place.

Then, paving and line painting will begin.

Once the temporary roadway is completed, a timeline for full restoration will likely be made available.

This week, crews will be paving three new lanes on the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway.

Pennsylvania State Police will again escort trucks carrying the pavers up Interstate 95 to make sure they get to the site safely and as quickly as possible as crews continue working around the clock to reopen the highway this weekend.

"I think it's clear to anyone watching, especially those watching the livestream at a Philly bar, that we have made tremendous progress over just the last few days," he said. "In nine days, these folks behind me here have completed the demo, built the entire structure for the interim roadway, and begun installing these barriers."

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Shapiro again cited the hard, non-stop work by Philadelphia Building Trade workers, contractors, and PennDOT's team being led by Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll.

"They build things safely, and they build them the right way," he said. "And they get the job done."

Shapiro highlighted crews working in storms, intense heat, and even on Father's Day.

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"They have worked literally around the clock, 24/7, in 12 hours shifts," he said.