Skip to main content

Plan for Philadelphia's I-95 to 'safely and quickly reopen'

FHWA earmarks $3m to help and public transit capacity is boosted 'until further notice'
By Adam Hill June 15, 2023 Read time: 1 min
US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg (third from right) and FHWA's Shailen Bhatt (far right) survey work on the damaged I-95 (image: Commonwealth Media Services)

Interstate 95 in the US city of Philadelphia is set to be reopened "safely and quickly" after a section of the roadway collapsed following a truck fire last weekend.

South-eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Septa) says it is boosting public transport capacity 'until further notice'.

The highway around the incident - usually a busy section of road - is currently closed in both directions and a number of detours are in operation.

The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released $3m to support Pennsylvania DoT (PennDoT)’s "traffic mitigation efforts...and emergency repairs necessary to restore this essential traffic", said US Department of Transportation under secretary for policy Carlos Monje. 

Another $7 million of Pennsylvania state funds have also been earmarked.

Aside from mass transit, alternatives such as car-pooling are suggested for drivers facing delays and detours.

The demolition of the damaged section of I-95 is expected to be complete today (Thursday), which authorities say is "well ahead of schedule".

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro said: “Getting I-95 repaired and reopened is our top priority – and we are working our tails off." 

The latest information on I-95 is available here

Related Content

  • June 7, 2021
    ITS America & AASHTO: 5.9 GHz legal action
    Two respected transportation bodies launch appeal against FCC's decision on 5.9 GHz band
  • January 11, 2013
    PennDOT 511 traveller information system to be privatised
    The Pennsylvania Department of Transport (PennDOT) 511 system, 511PA, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Roadway Information Program (TRIP), are to be privatised, following approval by the Pennsylvania Public Private Transportation Partnership (P3) Board of a project soliciting private sector proposals to manage and operate the systems. In operation since 2009, 511PA provides traffic-delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 670 traffic cameras. The
  • June 23, 2021
    IBTTA explains INVEST in America Act 2021
    Mark Muriello, IBTTA director of policy & government affairs, outlines some of the key tolling points of the US House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s INVEST in America Act 2021
  • May 11, 2012
    Funding shortfall for US Interstate upgrades
    Andrew Bardin Williams investigates tolling on the federal Interstate system as maintenance and upgrade requirements increasingly outpace funding The I-95 corridor through North Carolina is one of the most heavy trafficked interstates in the US, seeing upwards of 46,000 vehicles per day in some stretches-and North Carolina’s Department of Transportation (NCDOT) estimates this number will to rise to 98,000 vehicles per day by 2040. Along with the rest of the federal interstate system, the North Carolina str