PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Workers on Thursday took a step closer to the permanent rebuild of I-95 over Cottman Avenue. Officials predict that part of the reconstruction project will be finished this fall.
Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll announced the installation of eight 100-foot beams that will support the permanent roadway, which is being rebuilt on either side of the temporary recycled-glass thoroughfare that has been in service since just 12 days after a truck fire caused the section of interstate to collapse.
“There will be modest and temporary inconveniences related to the traffic movement as we construct the two bridges,” Carroll said. “And of course we will stay away from having those kinds of delays during the rush hours on weekdays.”
Officials say the speed of the reconstruction project continues to outpace expectations.
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“Those beams were fabricated by High Steel, a Pennsylvania company in Lancaster, in a record time,” Carroll said.
And the beams were delivered two months after they were ordered, a process that usually takes nine months to a year, according to Rob Buckley of Buckley & Company, Inc., the construction company overseeing the project.
“It’s almost unprecedented, unheard of, to get that kind of turnaround and cooperation,” Buckley said.
The speed of the beam delivery enhances the highway’s use as a metaphor for the power of government to solve problems, which has made the reconstruction site a favorite of federal, state and local officials, including Mayor Jim Kenney.
“This project has shown us that we can do big things, and our success here is a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together at every level,” Kenney said.
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Carroll says once the new road opens, the temporary lanes will be closed and the recycled glass hauled away for re-use. Those temporary lanes, too, have defied expectations by moving not an inch since they were put in place, Carroll said.
After the overpass is complete, Cottman Avenue below will require additional work before traffic can resume there. Carroll said the collapse damaged water mains underground which must be replaced before Cottman can reopen.