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 is still closed in both directions in this area. All levels of government continue to coordinate efforts in order to repair and reopen the roadway safely and as efficiently as possible.

Please see below for the latest updates and information:

Governor Shapiro Issues Proclamation of Disaster Emergency, Speaks with President Biden

To expedite the rebuilding of I-95 and to cut through the red tape, Governor Shapiro this morning issued a proclamation of disaster emergency, allowing the Commonwealth to immediately draw down federal funds and move quickly to begin the repair and reconstruction process. Governor Shapiro also spoke with President Biden today, who reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to provide whatever resources are needed to repair I-95 safely and efficiently.

PennDOT Reports Demolition Has Already Begun, Crews Will Work 24/7

According to Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, demolition of the collapsed roadway has begun and is expected to be completed in 4 – 5 days. A timeline for next steps in the reconstruction process will be made available once the engineers complete their review. Crews will work around the clock to ensure that demolition and reconstruction occurs quickly and efficiently, and that the roadway will reopen as soon as possible.

PSP Confirms One Body Recovered from Wreckage

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) has confirmed that body was recovered from the wreckage has been turned over to the Philadelphia County Medical Examiner and Coroner. Authorities are in the process of identifying the remains.

Detour Information & Routes

PennDOT has 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.

Local businesses and deliveries will be provided access. If business owners have any questions or issues, they can contact the Office of Business Services at 215-683-2100

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.

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

SEPTA’s Travel Options

Impacted travelers have alternative options in public transit and ridesharing. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) provided several 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/. A link to a list of the regional transportation management associations is here: https://www.dvrpc.org/mobilityalternatives/contacts/ – they can help employers and employees with issues regarding changes in commuting due to this shutdown. SAR is funded through PennDOT and administered by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

Additional Resources & Information on I-95

Motorists 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.

Subscribe to PennDOT District 6 news and traffic alerts at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6. 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Governor’s Press Office: ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov 

PennDOT : Alexis Campbell, alecampbel@pa.gov 

PA State Police: ra-pspcomm@pa.gov 

City of Philadelphia: press@phila.gov 

SEPTA: Andrew Busch, abusch@septa.org 

Original source can be found here.