PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After a portion of I-95 collapsed on June 11, many thought it would take months to reopen.
But months turned into 12 days.
LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE OF IN DEPTH
Construction crews worked nonstop to fill the gap with 2,000 tons of material made from recycled glass and pave six temporary lanes on top to get traffic running again while that section of the road is rebuilt.
The repairs came after a tanker truck carrying gasoline crashed and exploded under an elevated section of I-95, causing it to collapse. The driver, Nathaniel Moody, died.
Why were crews able to fix the highway so quickly? And why can’t other projects be done as swiftly?
“There were a lot of circumstances in that location that made this particular type of repair doable in a quick period of time,” said Dr. Tripp Shenton, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Delaware.
In the latest episode of KYW Newsradio In Depth, Shenton explains what went into that I-95 road work and why it was easier and faster than other construction projects.
Listen in the player below, on the Audacy app, or wherever you get your podcasts.