PennDot announces I-95 North reopening following bridge repair

Just in time for Monday’s morning commute, northbound Interstate 95 in Port Richmond has reopened following the completion of bridge repairs, according to PennDot.

The announcement comes five days after a tractor-trailer struck an overhead Conrail bridge, causing northbound lanes to be closed and forcing commuters to take disruptive detours.

Earlier this week, the owner of the tractor-trailer that struck the bridge was identified as B. Blair Corp, of Bucks County, which handles nationwide heavy and specialized equipment hauling, according to two sources with knowledge of the police investigation. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the case publicly.

Few details about the crash have been released as Philadelphia police investigators examine why it occurred.

By Thursday, damaged bridge components had been removed from the area and contractors were working on replacing them. But rainy weather during the week slowed the process.

The closures prompted major traffic delays both north- and southbound. It also impacted trash collection because, according to the city’s Streets Department, many of the trucks use I-95 to transport materials to disposal and recycling centers.

At about 4 p.m. Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced that the roadwork was completed and that lanes had been reopened. The ramp from Castor Avenue to I-95 North has also reopened to traffic.

This marked the second time in about nine months that Philadelphia experienced a major I-95 shutdown.

In June, a tanker truck caught fire causing part of the road to collapse. The repair was supposed to take months and garnered national media attention when Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the construction work would be live-streamed 24/7. It went viral, sparking memes, online discourse, and a Twitch livestream. The repair was completed in 12 days.