Crews Will Fill in I-95 Underpass and Build a Temporary Highway to Get Traffic Flowing Again

Construction crews will begin to backfill the underpass where I-95 bridge collapsed and pave over it to create a temporary six lane, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Wednesday.

The move is an effort to restore traffic flow as quickly as possible to the vital north-south artery.

Demolition of the site will be completed by Thursday and crews will begin bringing in backfill made from recycled glass soon after, Shapiro said. Trucks carrying the backfill will be escorted by state police to ensure they can make it to the site as quickly as possible.

The governor did not give a timeframe of when the backfill project will be completed, and instead said the work will be done expeditiously. 

“All hands on deck. Getting 95 reopened and repaired as safely and as efficiently as possible is our top priority,” Shapiro said. 

An estimated 160,000 vehicles a day used that stretch of I-95, which became impassable after a fuel tanker truck crashed and exploded, causing the overpass bridge to collapse.

The state will also set up a 24/7 live video feed so the public can watch reconstruction in real time, he said. Shapiro said he wants the video to show “the government working for the good people of Pennsylvania."

The governor as well as other state leaders working on the collapsed bridge assured that the hasty construction method is safe and will be able to hold until the overpass can be rebuilt.

“It's going to be engineered in a way that will be completely reliable for the traveling public while the remainder of the work is done,” state Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said Wednesday. 

Once the backfill fills the roadway hole,  crews will pave over the surface and three center lanes in each direction will be open to motorists, he said. 

“Once those are completed, we will transition the traffic to the completed new structure, excavate the material that constitutes the fill, use that in another project, and complete the reconstruction of the center part of the bridge,” Carroll said.

“We realize this is a challenge for motorists, that's why these guys are working their tails off to get done as quickly as possible.” 

When asked about the price of the project, Shapiro said costs are still being determined but that the federal government would foot the bill.

Shapiro said he has freed up $7 million in state resources to cover any immediate costs and has thus far received $3 million from the Federal Highway Administration to support traffic mitigation efforts.