Thanks to the coordinated state, federal, and local response and the 24/7 work of crews on the scene, I-95 is expected to reopen this weekend.
Philadelphia, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll announced that I-95 will be reopened this weekend, ahead of the originally projected two-week timeline.
“Based on the tremendous progress these crews made over the weekend and the time it takes to complete the remaining steps, I can now say that we will have I-95 back open this weekend,” said Governor Shapiro. “We have worked around the clock to get this done, and we’ve completed each phase safely and ahead of schedule. That’s all due to the incredible coordination with our local, state, and federal partners – and thanks to the hard-working men and women of the Philadelphia Building Trades who are making this happen.”
Under the leadership of Governor Shapiro and Secretary Carroll, crews have worked around the clock to reopen the roadway safely and as quickly as possible. Thanks to the coordinated partnership of PennDOT, the Biden Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the City of Philadelphia, and the hard work of the Philadelphia Building Trades, crews have made fast progress to rebuild I-95 within two weeks of the collapse – well ahead of experts’ original predictions.
Last week, Governor Shapiro announced that demolition was completed in just four days – well in advance of experts’ original predictions. Throughout the holiday weekend, crews made significant additional progress by filling the gap with ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregate to build up to surface level. This innovative approach was made possible with the aggregate material from a local Delaware County business, which has provided the ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregate for use on other projects here in Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and in other states across the country, including in New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, and others.
Throughout this week, crews will begin paving 3 new lanes in both directions. The Pennsylvania State Police will again escort trucks carrying the pavers up I-95 to make sure they get to the site safely and as quickly as possible as crews continue working around the clock to reopen I-95 this weekend.