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An elevated section of Interstate 95 collapsed early Sunday morning in Philadelphia after a tanker truck carrying flammable goods caught fire, prompting an indefinite closure of a heavily traveled section of the East Coast’s main north-south highway, authorities said. .
Transportation officials warned of widespread delays and street closures and urged drivers to avoid the area in the northeastern corner of the city.
Officials said the tanker contained a petroleum product that may have been hundreds of gallons of gasoline. The fire took about an hour to bring under control.
The Philadelphia Fire Department’s battalion chief, Derek Bommer, said the northbound lanes for I-95 were gone, and the southbound lanes were “damaged” by the heat from the fire. He added that runoff from the fire or perhaps the gas lines breaking caused underground explosions.
Some kind of crash occurred on an incline below northbound I-95 around 6.15am, and the northbound portion collapsed on top of the fire quickly, said state Department of Transportation spokesman Brad Rudolph. The southbound lanes sustained significant damage, Rudolph said, “and we’re assessing that now.”
A view of the collapsed section of Interstate 95 near the Cotman Street exit in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (David Maialetti / The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
Gov. Josh Shapiro, who said Sunday evening that he plans to issue a disaster declaration Monday to speed up federal funding, said at least one vehicle was still trapped under the collapsed road. “We are still working to identify any individual or individuals who may have been involved in the fire and collapse,” he said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Video from the scene showed a huge concrete slab that had fallen from I-95 onto the road below.
Shapiro said his flight over the area showed “just noticeable devastation.” He said, “I found myself thanking the Lord that none of the motorists who were on I-95 were injured or died.”
Early this morning a vehicle fire under I-95 in Philly caused a portion of the freeway to collapse.
While this is still an active scene, I completed an aerial view of the site and was briefed by first responders, law enforcement, and transportation experts on the ground with @employee. pic.twitter.com/g4rHy5NTMM
– Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) June 11, 2023
Mark Fossetti, a retired Philadelphia police sergeant, said he was driving south toward the city’s airport when he noticed thick black smoke billowing on the interstate.
As he passed the fire, he said, the road beneath it began to “slope,” creating a noticeable dip that was evident in the video he took of the scene, he said.
He saw the traffic in his rearview mirror had stopped. Soon after, the highway’s northbound lanes collapsed. “It was crazy timing,” Fossetti said. “For you to bend down and collapse so quickly, it’s really cool.”
Rudolph said the collapsed portion of I-95 was part of a $212 million reconstruction project that ended four years ago. He said there was no immediate timeframe for reopening the highway, but that officials would look at “a temporary filling or structure situation” to speed up the effort.
Motorists were sent on a 69-kilometre detour, which was “better than it would be on a weekday,” Rudolph said. The fact that the crash occurred on a Sunday helped ease congestion, but he predicted that “traffic will be significantly reduced in all bypasses”.
Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll said the I-95 segment carries approximately 1,60,000 vehicles daily and is likely the busiest interstate in Pennsylvania. He said work would continue through the night to remove the collapsed section as quickly as possible.
Shapiro said he spoke directly to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and was assured there would be “absolutely no delay” in getting federal funds quickly to rebuild what he called a “critical road” as safely and efficiently as possible.
Closely watching the fire and collapse on I-95 in Pennsylvania. I have been in touch with the FHWA and have spoken with Governor Shapiro to offer any assistance USDOT can provide to help with recovery and reconstruction.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) June 11, 2023
But Shapiro said a full I-95 rebuild would take “a few months,” and in the meantime officials were looking for “temporary solutions to connect both sides of I-95 to connect traffic through the area.”
White House press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre said in a tweet that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the collapse and that White House officials are in contact with the offices of Shapiro and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney to offer assistance.
The President was briefed on the collapse and White House officials were in contact with Governor Shapiro and Mayor Kenney’s offices to offer assistance.
– Karen Jean-Pierre (PressSec) June 11, 2023
Buttigieg, in a social media post, called it a “major artery for people and goods” and said the closure would have “significant implications for the city and region until reconstruction and recovery is complete.” Fire and collapse investigation team.
Most drivers traveling in the I-95 corridor between Delaware and New York City use the New Jersey Turnpike instead of the portion of the highway where the crash occurred.
Until 2018, drivers did not have a direct interstate connection between I-95 in Pennsylvania and I-95 in New Jersey. They had to use a few miles of surface roads, with traffic lights, to get from one to the other.
Officials were also concerned about the environmental effects of runoff into the nearby Delaware River.
After a flash was seen in the Delaware River near the crash site, the Coast Guard deployed a barrier to contain the material. Ensign Josh Ledoux said the tanker had a capacity of 8,500 gallons, but the contents did not appear to be dispersing into the environment.
“In terms of waterways, they are being contained, things seem to be under control,” he said.
Dominic Mirelles, director of the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, said thousands of tons of steel and concrete had accumulated over the site of the fire, and heavy construction equipment would be needed to begin clearing the debris.
The fire was strikingly similar to another fire in Philadelphia in March 1996, when an illegal tire dump under I-95 caught fire, melting guard rails and buckling the sidewalk.
The highway was closed for several weeks, and the partial closure lasted for six months. Seven teenagers were charged with arson. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the landfill owner was sentenced to between 7 and 14 years in prison and ordered to pay US$3 million of the US$6.5 million repair costs.
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