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What commuters can do after the I-95 shutdown

PennDot has a recommended detour for getting around the I-95 collapse, and SEPTA is adding capacity on some Regional Rail lines.

People look at the collapsed portion of I-95 near Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia, Pa. on Sunday, June 11, 2023. A truck fire and partial road collapse have closed Interstate 95 in both directions in Northeast Philadelphia.
People look at the collapsed portion of I-95 near Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia, Pa. on Sunday, June 11, 2023. A truck fire and partial road collapse have closed Interstate 95 in both directions in Northeast Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

A truck fire and partial road collapse have closed Interstate 95 in both directions in Northeast Philadelphia, shutting down the busy highway between the Woodhaven Road and Aramingo Avenue exits.

Repairing the collapsed stretch of interstate that carried roughly 160,000 vehicles per day is expected to take months, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said, and officials are pursuing alternatives for commuters. Drivers should plan for delays around the area and think about other routes. Here’s what to know.

» READ MORE: Live coverage: I-95 shut down in Philadelphia after bridge collapse caused by truck fire

PennDot’s suggested route

PennDot has a recommended detour for getting around the I-95 collapse, and the information is being put on message boards in the region and in states north and south of Philadelphia, spokesperson Brad Rudolph said.

Heading northbound:

  1. Exit I-95 at Aramingo Avenue.

  2. Make a left onto Aramingo Avenue.

  3. Follow Aramingo Avenue to Tacony Street and turn right.

  4. Take Tacony Street northbound around the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge loop to New State Road.

  5. Take New State Road to Milnor Street and re-enter I-95 northbound.

Heading southbound:

  1. Take Exit I-95 onto Route 63/Woodhaven Road to U.S. 1/Roosevelt Boulevard south.

  2. Get on I-76 east, take to I-676 east and then merge onto I-95 southbound.

PennDOT also has local detour routes for local traffic looking to get around the I-95 collapse site

Heading northbound: Exit 26 (Betsy Ross/Aramingo Ave), Tacony Street, New State Road, Milnor Street, Bleigh Avenue, State Road, and Linden Avenue to access 95 North.

Heading southbound: Cottman Avenue exit, Bleigh Avenue, and State Road to access 95 South at Longshore Avenue.

SEPTA service alterations

SEPTA is “evaluating all options to enhance service for those who are impacted” by the collapse, CEO and general manager Leslie Richards said Sunday.

An immediate service plan was being finalized Sunday evening for the early part of the week. But immediate changes include:

  1. Additional car capacity on the Trenton, West Trenton, and Fox Chase Regional Rail Lines during peak service times.

  2. The Cynwyd Regional Rail Line will be bused so that the agency can “repurpose equipment and personnel” for the Trenton Line, Richards said.

  3. Free parking at SEPTA Regional Rail lots and Philadelphia Parking Authority lots at Frankford Transportation Center, Fern Rock, Fox Chase, and Torresdale.

  4. Market-Frankford Line trains will run every six minutes during peak hours.

Additionally, SEPTA said buses along Routes 70, 78, and 84 will be detoured until further notice due to the bridge collapse. For more information on those detours, go to septa.org/realtime/status.

More options could be in the works

“We are working on further alternative methods to ensure folks can safely get where they need to go,” Shapiro said. “We’re also looking at interim solutions to connect both sides of I-95 to get traffic through the area.”

Staff writer Diane Mastrull contributed to this article.