The shutdown of Interstate 95 outside of Philadelphia is causing massive delays for drivers on Sunday, and the slowdown is sure to persist into the work week.
Traffic reports from around Philadelphia show large backups in side streets surrounding the collapsed freeway.
I95Exitguide provides live updates to traffic conditions around the city, and areas of stop-and-go traffic are littered around the freeway.
The conditions are sure to worsen as the work week begins on Monday morning and commuters are forced into alternate routes.
The collapsed section of the freeway will take weeks, if not months, to repair, meaning workers may have to simply get used to longer commutes.
The partial collapse of the roadway happened after a tanker truck fire started underneath an overpass and spread to the above lanes, FOX29 Philadelphia reported, citing officials.
The fire was extinguished around 7:30 a.m., though crews remained at the scene to assess the damage.
The collapsed section of the freeway will take weeks, if not months, to repair.AP
A tanker truck fire started underneath an overpass and spread to the above lanes.Philadelphia Fire Department via AP
Local media reported that several explosions were heard in the area, with WPVI-TV stating that manhole covers had been seen exploding.
Some streets around I-95 remained closed as of noon on Sunday as first responders and other officials surveyed the scene.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he was briefed on the collapse early Sunday morning.
Fire and smoke near the collapsed section of I-95.WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP
The fire was extinguished around 7:30 a.m. Sunday.WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP
“Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and I are closely coordinating with partners in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and the federal government and we will share more information as we have it,” Shapiro said in a statement. “For now, please avoid the area and follow the direction of the first responders on the scene.”
Sunday’s incident comes decades after another incident that saw I-95 burst into flames when a tanker truck flipped over and exploded, dumping 8,700 pounds of flaming fuel onto the highway.
That incident killed two people.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2023/06/11/philadelphia-commuters-will-likely-be-forced-onto-alternate-routes-for-weeks-after-i-95-collapse/