Pa. lawmakers approve declaration to aid repair work for I-95 bridge collapse

The Pennsylvania legislature on Monday approved an extension of the emergency declaration for repair work on the section of I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia that was damaged by a bridge collapse in June.

The disaster declaration will be extended until February, and allows state government to continue to access emergency funding and follow streamlined rules for the repair work.

The extension was approved in a resolution introduced by State Rep. Pat Gallagher, a Democrat whose district includes the affected portion of I-95. Gallagher’s resolution was approved by the Republican-controlled state Senate on Monday, and will take effect when leaders in both chambers sign the document.

“While much progress has been made in such a quick time on the I-95 bridge collapse, there still remains work to be done,” Gallagher said in a statement.

“I’m glad to see the General Assembly work in unison to address this disaster that affects not only Philadelphia, but the entire state of Pennsylvania and the northeast corridor of the United States,” Gallagher said.

State Rep. Ed Neilson, chair of the House Transportation Committee and another Philadelphia Democrat, also highlighted the need for the extension of the declaration.

“We were able to reopen the road in record time because city, state, and federal agencies worked together and innovative procurement methods like design-build, best-value were utilized,” Neilson said in a statement.

“As majority chairman of the House Transportation Committee, I am proud to have worked in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to extend the disaster declaration and allow repair progress to continue without red tape,” Neilson said.

» READ MORE: The tale of I-95's rapid 12-day recovery – frame-by-frame

On June 11, a fuel tanker truck crashed under the I-95 overpass at the Cottman Avenue exit. The resulting fire caused the overpass to collapse. Nathan Moody, the truck’s driver, died in the crash.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster declaration a day after the crash, and temporary lanes reopened less than two weeks later. After the outer lanes of the road are reconstructed, a permanent center section of the bridge will be built in 2024, according to the state.