I-95 lanes partially collapse in Philadelphia after truck fire
- A massive concrete slab fell from I-95 onto the road below
- Governor: "I found myself thanking the Lord no motorists were injured, died
- Officials: A full rebuild could take months
PHILADELPHIA (The Hill) – Northbound Interstate 95 lanes partially collapsed in Philadelphia Sunday after a truck caught fire under the highway, authorities said. Now, city officials said a full rebuild will take months.
Video from the scene showed a massive concrete slab had fallen from I-95 onto the road below, trapping at least one vehicle underneath.
Officials said there were no injuries or fatalities at a Sunday press conference.
“Remarkable devastation and I found myself thanking the Lord that no motorists who were on 95 were injured or died. Just a remarkably devastating sight,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said.
The northbound lanes of I-95 were gone, and the southbound lanes were “compromised” due to heat from the fire, said Derek Bowmer, battalion chief of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
The fire was caused by a petroleum-based product that the truck was carrying, Shapiro announced at a press conference following the collapse.
The truck crashed on a ramp underneath northbound I-95 around 6:15 a.m., causing the fire. The northbound section above the fire collapsed quickly, state Transportation Department spokesman Brad Rudolph said.
Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management said in a tweet Sunday morning that all lanes of the interstate were closed in both directions due to “fire/road collapse” between Woodhaven and Aramingo exits.
The agency tweeted earlier Sunday that all lanes in the area were closed due to a “large fire.”
“All lanes on 1-95 are shut down in both directions nearing Cottman Avenue exit due to large fire. Smoke is visible. Avoid 1-95 approaching Northeast Philadelphia and expect delays,” the office tweeted.
The Total Traffic and Weather Network of Philadelphia warned that the incident could cause a “large volume” of traffic, advising drivers to take alternate routes.
“The fire has caused major structural damage to the highway, so expect it to be closed for a very long time,” the network tweeted.
The collapsed section of I-95 was part of a $212 million reconstruction project that wrapped up four years ago, Rudolph said. There was no immediate time frame for reopening the highway, but officials would consider “a fill-in situation or a temporary structure” to accelerate the effort, he said.
The governor said he will make a disaster declaration on Monday, hopefully setting federal funding in place to help with the cleanup and rebuild.
Members of the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) will conduct an investigation to determine why the tanker truck caught fire.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.