Keystone Today

Philadelphia, PA – The Shapiro Administration, the City of Philadelphia, and federal partners continue to respond to the partial collapse of Interstate 95 between Exits 30 and 32 in Philadelphia. The interstate remains closed in both directions in this area. All levels of government continue to coordinate efforts to repair and reopen the roadway safely and as efficiently as possible.

Tomorrow at 11:00am, Governor Shapiro, Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, contractors, members of the Philadelphia Building Trades and other officials will provide an update on the coordinated response to the I-95 collapse from state, local, and federal partners. The press conference will be streamed on pacast.com/live/gov.

Please see below for the latest updates and information:

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Visits Incident Site, Meets with PennDOT and Local Leaders

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to Philadelphia to visit the incident site. Secretary Buttigieg and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll surveyed the damage and provided an update on the speedy removal of debris from the site and efforts to rebuild I-95 safely and as efficiently as possible. Governor Shapiro spoke to Secretary Buttigieg over the phone once again today to update him on the Administration’s progress.

Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis Leads Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council Meeting in Response to I-95 Collapse in Philadelphia

Today, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis led a required meeting of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council to review the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed yesterday by Governor Shapiro. This is the first proclamation signed by Governor Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Davis’s first time leading the council.

The Governor’s proclamation makes $7 million of state funds immediately available for the reconstruction of the roadway and authorizes the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Transportation, and the Pennsylvania State Police to use all available resources and personnel, as necessary. The proclamation also cuts red tape, waiving bidding and contracting procedures, as well as other formalities normally prescribed by law. 

PennDOT Reports Demolition is Underway, Crews Will Work 24/7

According to PennDOT, demolition is underway. The bridge deck was removed today and other bridge-component removal is underway while debris is being removed from underneath the bridge. An update on the next steps in the reconstruction process will be shared tomorrow. Crews will work through the night to ensure that demolition and reconstruction occurs quickly and efficiently, and that the roadway will reopen as soon as possible.

Detour Information & Routes

PennDOT has primary detour routes in place in the area:

• I-95 Southbound: Route 63 West (Woodhaven Road), U.S. 1 South, 76 East, 676 East
• I-95 Northbound: I-676 West, I-76 West, U.S. 1 North to Route 63 East (Woodhaven Road) 

Additionally, Philadelphia Police will have the following closures and detours in place if you are traveling on I-95 in the area of the Cottman Avenue exit. Police will be located along the detour route. Expect delays along the detour and note these are subject to change:

• Castor Avenue on-ramp for I-95 northbound
  • Closed
• Aramingo Avenue/I-95 on and off-ramps
  • On-ramp to I-95 northbound closed
  • Betsy Ross off-ramp to I-95 northbound closed
• Bridge Street ramp
  • I-95 on-ramp at Bridge Street closed.
  • All traffic on Tacony Street will flow northbound only from Bridge Street to New State Road.
• Tacony Street and Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
  • Tacony Palmyra Bridge traffic onto Tacony Street closed. All traffic continues westbound onto Levick Street.
• Cottman Avenue exit and State Road closures
  • State Road from Cottman Avenue to Longshore Avenue will be one-way, southbound travel only.
• Southbound I-95 detour
  • Exit I-95 southbound at Cottman Avenue.
  • At the end of the ramp, right on Bleigh Street.
  • Follow Bleigh to State Road, make a left onto State.
  • Travel State Road South to Longshore Avenue.
  • Re-enter I-95 southbound at State Road and Longshore Avenue.
• Northbound I-95 detour
  • Exit I-95 at Aramingo Avenue.
  • At the end of the ramp, make a left onto Aramingo Avenue.
  • Follow Aramingo Avenue to Tacony Street. Turn right.
  • Take Tacony Street northbound around Tacony-Palmyra Bridge loop to New State Road. Continue northbound.
  • Travel New State Road to Milnor Street and re-enter I-95 northbound.

The Philadelphia Police Department is providing on-site access to local businesses near the I-95 bridge collapse for all employees, customers and deliveries. If your business is experiencing access problems due to local road closures or detours, contact the Department of Commerce Office of Business Services by calling 215- 683-2100 or emailing business@phila.gov. Commerce is working with the Philadelphia Police Department to assist local businesses.

For more on detour routes and related information, visit www.pa.gov/i95updates.

Resources for Philadelphia Residents

Philadelphia residents can find on-going information about City services and operations on phila.gov in English and Spanish. Residents should continue to set their trash and recycling collections out as normal on their regular trash day and at their regular pickup site. Residents in the northeast area of the city should expect delays in collections. The Streets Department continues to monitor the impact of the I-95 closure on sanitation collections in the area. Residents will be notified if adjustments to collections will be made if necessary.

Regional Alternative Travel Options, Expanded Services

Impacted travelers have alternative options in public transit and ridesharing. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is providing updates to its transportation services. There is available capacity on all service.

Additionally, the regional Share-A-Ride (SAR) program matches people to others making a similar trip, whether for trips like to/from work, or for one-time trips, too, like to sporting or cultural events. Anyone who signs up can earn points for recording their (non-SOV) trips, including transit, car/van pools, biking, and walking. Points add up for rewards like discounts at restaurants and retail establishments, etc.

Information on SAR and other ride-match programs in NJ, DE, and elsewhere in PA can be found at https://www.dvrpc.org/pacarpool/.  Regional transportation management associations can help employers and employees with issues regarding changes in commuting due to this closure. SAR is funded through PennDOT and administered by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

Additional Resources & Information on I-95Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts.

Original source can be found here.