I-95 reconstruction hits milestone as steel beams are set for permanent southbound lanes

High over I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia on Thursday, a crane swung its arm out over the freeway, carrying a load of metal.

Officials were gathered there to commemorate the setting of the first steel beams for the permanent reconstruction of the portion of I-95 that collapsed this summer.

More than 8,000 gallons of gasoline ignited June 11 when a tanker truck crashed beneath the freeway’s northbound exit ramp, killing the truck’s 53-year-old driver and causing damage that led to major disruptions to traffic patterns along one of the region’s busiest roadways.

PennDot Secretary Mike Carroll was joined by Mayor Jim Kenney and Rob Buckley, president of Buckley & Co., the firm leading the reconstruction effort.

“We’re working seven days a week,” Buckley said. “Our guys haven’t had a day off in a month now. This is hot, heavy, hard work — they call it heavy highway work because of that reason.”

After the collapse, three lanes in each direction were rebuilt for temporary use in just less than two weeks, the speedy recovery coordinated by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration and federal, state, and local partners.

At Thursday’s event, Carroll and Buckley detailed their next effort to rebuild the overpass permanently throughout the fall — with only minor interruptions to traffic.

Carroll said that after the first beams are in place, crews would be rebuilding the two structures on either side of the bridge deck.

Then, he said, crews will excavate the temporary bridge, before finally constructing a new center bridge. Crews will also repair underground structures that were damaged on Cottman Avenue.

Cars will be able to travel on I-95 during the process, Carroll said, with crews aiming to do portions of the work overnight and outside of the rush-hour windows on weekdays to minimize disruptions.

Traffic officials warned travelers this week that some delays on I-95 at Cottman Avenue and State Road should be expected, as crews would begin installing the first steel beams that would support the permanent reconstruction.

Engineers determined that the intensity of the gasoline fire led to the collapse of the bridge carrying the roadway above it. Because the structure itself was not at fault, contractors said they would be reconstructing the overpass in a similar manner to its previous design.

With the first beams raised, crews will eventually erect 16 I-beams — constructed in the same shape as the letter — to support the concrete walls on either side of the overpass. A bridge deck made of steel-reinforced concrete will then be laid on top to carry the roadway.

Shapiro visited the company forging the beams, High Steel Structures, earlier this month to highlight the work of Pennsylvania-based companies involved in the reconstruction effort. The Lancaster-based company sourced the steel beams from a facility in Coatesville, according to PennDot.

This article was updated to reflect the correct amount of gasoline ignited during the collision.