Philadelphia I-95 collapse: Josh Shapiro announces demolition of collapsed highway to be completed by Thursday
Asher Notheis
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The demolition of the collapsed highway located near Philadelphia is expected to be finished by Thursday, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) announced Wednesday.
The governor explained that both sides of the Interstate 95 highway need to be demolished before work on the new road could begin. While several experts said this work would take roughly a week, the work is instead expected to be finished sooner, “thanks to the crews working literally 24/7,” Shapiro tweeted.
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“While the demo has been going on, we’ve developed the fastest way to reopen this roadway safely,” Shapiro said. “To reopen I-95 as safely and efficiently as possible, we’ll backfill the gap and pave over it. This will allow us to avoid delays and pursue a simple, quicker path.”
https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro/status/1669011980156383232?s=20
Shapiro added that his administration is “all hands on deck” and will use “every asset” and “work around the clock” to ensure fixing the highway is completed.
The overpass bridge that collapsed occurred after a fire on the highway took place on Sunday morning. A fuel tanker truck caught fire underneath I-95 on Cottman Avenue, resulting in all northbound lanes collapsing.
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The fire that caused part of the interstate to collapse was caused by a truck that was carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline. The driver of the commercial truck lost control and crashed, resulting in a large fire that destroyed a section of the highway, according to reports.
Shapiro has allocated $2 million in unused appropriated funds to the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management to help combat the crisis.