Failures
Buttigieg Pledges Federal Funding to Speed Rebuild of Collapsed I-95 Bridge
PennDOT hired a contractor that had been working for it nearby on another I-95 project to handle demolition after a portion of the highway collapsed amid a tanker truck fire June 11.
Photo courtesy of Pennsylvania Governor's Office
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pledged the federal government’s full support with funding and technical assistance to help Pennsylvania officials who are rebuilding a section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia destroyed by a June 11 tanker truck fire, which is believed to have killed its driver.
A bridge carrying the northbound lanes of I-95 collapsed and the southbound side was no longer structurally sound following the fire that began at about 6:20 a.m. June 11 and was fueled by the truck's petroleum-based load, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said during a press conference. There were no reports of other vehicles being involved. The highway was closed in both directions in the area.
"This tragic crash is having an outsized impact on commuters and on goods movement up and down the I-95 corridor," Buttigieg told reporters at a later press conference. "It's a key artery for the movement of people and goods, and that's why it's so important to make sure that it's restored quickly."
Shapiro issued a disaster declaration the day after the collapse to allow the state to receive federal funds and move quickly to rebuild the bridge. The declaration sets an initial total of $7 million for emergency procurement, and allows agencies including the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation, to suspend normal procurement rules to expedite the rebuilding process. Federal money may be provided in the form of either quick release funding or reimbursements, Buttigieg said.
The bridge was a 104-ft-long welded steel I-beam design with a 14.58-ft clearance, according to the agency. It carried I-95 over Cottman Avenue near the Delaware River, and had an average daily traffic of about 160,000 vehicles, said state Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll. Trucks accounted for about 8% of that traffic, officials said.
Carroll said PennDOT had engaged a nearby contractor, Sewell, N.J.-based C. Abbonizio Contractors Inc., to handle the demolition without going out to bid. The contractor had been working on another I-95 project for the agency nearby and had equipment on site within hours. Work is continuing 24/7 and expected to last about four more days, he said.
PennDOT had rated the bridge in “good” condition prior to the fire and collapse, records show. It was completed in 2016 by Walsh Construction Co. II LLC as part of the $212-million second phase of a section of the agency's “95 Revive” project, which involved reconstruction and improvement of 1.4 miles of I-95 between the Cottman Avenue and Bridge Street interchanges. The final phase of that project, which includes work mostly off the highway itself, is scheduled to complete next spring with C. Abbonizio.
Shapiro said the U.S. Coast Guard and the city water department were conducting environmental assessments.
The complete rebuild is expected to take “some number of months,” Shapiro said, adding that the timeline would be more clear once PennDOT engineers had been able to review the scene. Carroll said officials would share plans for the rebuild on June 14.
Pennsylvania State Police said one body had been recovered from the wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the fire and collapse, Buttigieg said.
The text of this article has been updated to reflect new information.
