PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the I-95 collapse site in Tacony, Penn., on Tuesday, promising support from the federal government as the interstate is rebuilt.
As the demolition of the southbound lanes continued behind him, Buttigieg addressed the media on his tour of the crash site. He said he got about 30 yards away from the actual scene. He was struck by the coordination of all of the different state and city agencies that came together and their ability to respond to this tragedy so quickly.
Several of them were in attendance, including Mayor Jim Kenney, state Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll and SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards.
Carroll said crews are working 24/7 to clear the site, and the governor and PennDOT will release a timeline and a reopening plan for I-95 on Wednesday. He expects to have more details about a specific timeline as to when temporary or permanent structures may be built.
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Buttigieg acknowledged major arteries like I-95 being essentially unavailable puts a huge economic strain on the trucking industry and the supply chain.
It’s certainly going to have an impact on the cost of goods in the area, which is one of the reasons why he said the federal government is devoting so many resources to reopening the highway as quickly as possible.
Buttigieg said federal support could possibly be available for SEPTA too, for its extra expense in responding to this incident.
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Similar incidents in other states
Investigators believe the truck driver, identified as Nathaniel Moody, crashed around 6:15 a.m. on Sunday while driving around a turn at the end of the Cottman Avenue exit off I-95. An intense fire ignited, causing the northbound lanes above to collapse and structurally compromising the southbound lanes.
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The damaged I-95 segment carries about 160,000 vehicles daily, believed to be the busiest roadway in Pennsylvania, state officials said.
Officials estimate repairs will take several months to complete.
PennDOT rated the 104-foot span of I-95 as in good condition earlier this year, with another inspection set for 2025.
In California, a similar situation happened with a highway ramp in Oakland. It was replaced in 26 days, Joseph L. Schofer, a retired professor of civil and environmental engineering from Northwestern University, said.
In Atlanta, an elevated portion of Interstate 85 collapsed in a fire, shutting down the heavily traveled route through the heart of the city in March 2017. It took authorities there 43 days to replace it, Schofer said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.