PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Some Philadelphia commuters were really down in the dumps on Monday morning after something pretty spectacular hit the westbound Schuylkill Expressway. Perhaps no one but the driver can explain how, around 8:20 a.m., the back end of a dump truck or box truck got wedged under the South Street overpass.
Since that time, one lane of traffic has been zig-zagging through to avoid the obstruction. Drivers, delayed about an hour from Passyunk Avenue to South Street, had plenty of time to gawk as they squeezed by.
The back of the truck was standing almost straight up right underneath the South Street Bridge.
The back end of a truck wedged under the South Street overpass snarled traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway on Monday morning.KYW Newsradio Traffic
"I've seen a lot of things during the morning drive, and this is a new one for me," said KYW Traffic reporter Kevin Guest.
As of now, South Street is open, so drivers are able to enter I-76 from there, but savvy travelers will want to avoid the snarl, so the recommendation is to stick with I-95 north over to the westbound Vine Expressway. Expect a lot of drivers exiting at University Avenue and some residual jams along surrounding roads into University City.
The problem is likely to persist, says KYW Traffic reporter Justin Drabick, as the route may need to be shut down later to inspect the bridge and the road itself. The driver of that truck may want to get checked out as well.
