I-95 crash affecting commuter traffic, supply chain: Buttigieg

A tractor-trailer flipped over Sunday and caught fire on an I-95 off-ramp
I-95 will be closed for weeks, affecting the transport of goods
Transportation Secretary says supply chain disruptions 'can be managed'

Updated: Jun 13, 2023 / 12:37 PM CDT

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, left, meets with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney at the scene of a collapsed elevated section of Interstate 95, in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

(NewsNation) — The “tragic” collapse of a section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia Sunday is having an “outsized impact” on commuters and goods moving up and down that corridor, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Tuesday.

“That’s why it’s so important to make sure that it’s restored quickly,” Buttigieg said during a news conference Tuesday with state and local officials. “The only thing that’s even more important than making sure it’s restored quickly is making sure it’s restored safely.”

I-95 will be closed in both directions for weeks, and officials have said the elevated southbound part of the highway will have to be demolished, as well as the northbound side.

If a route is disrupted, as it is in Philadelphia right now, or if trucks have to wait, that finds its way into the cost of goods, Buttigieg said.

“Here on the East Coast, there’s no question that the effect will be upward pressure until it can be completely resolved,” Buttigieg said.

While he hasn’t seen an economists’ estimate on the cost of the collapse, Buttigieg pointed out that the damaged portion of I-95 carries about 160,000 vehicles daily.

“About 8% of that is trucks,” Buttigieg said. “Obviously that is a lot of America’s GDP moving along that road every single day.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that those on the road faced heavy backups along roads near the collapse site Tuesday morning, a couple days after a a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline flipped over on an I-95 off-ramp and caught fire, destroying a section of the highway.

“This emergency is obviously creating a serious strain on the region’s transportation system — not just I-95, but on the roads throughout the city,” Leslie Richards, of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, said at the news conference.

Those who need service can contact SEPTA’s call center at 215-580-7800.

A firefighter views the aftermath of an elevated section of Interstate 95 that collapsed, in Philadelphia, Monday, June 12, 2023. Drivers began longer commutes after section of I-95 collapse a day earlier following damage caused by a tanker truck carrying flammable cargo catching fire. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

There was one body pulled out of the wreckage from the collapse. Pennsylvania State Police said the body was turned over to the Philadelphia medical examiner, but did not identify the remains.

Buttigieg has previously called the collapse a “cruel reminder” of the importance of infrastructure, pledging full federal support to rebuild the interstate.

He reiterated this support on Tuesday, saying, “We’re going to continue to be here every step of the way for as long as it takes, with both financial backing and any other technical support that’s needed.”

While Buttigieg did say the supply chain would be affected by the I-95 collapse, he thinks, “That can be managed.”

“We certainly stand ready to help anybody who needs assistance, but we also see that a lot of these operations, they’re built to contemplate the the unthinkable, and in this case, already adapting to try to make sure that their goods can move on alternate routes,” Buttigieg said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for Philadelphia after the collapse, NewsNation local affiliate WPHL reports.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.