In June, a portion of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia collapsed after a tanker trucker fire. Now, almost five months after the incident, some new lanes will open to motorists in the City of Brotherly Love.
According to Mike Carroll, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) secretary, reconstruction of the roadway is "ahead of schedule". On Monday, traffic shifted from the temporary roadway onto the new, permanent travel lanes on I-95.
Yesterday, northbound I-95 was reduced to two lanes from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., then to one lane from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday through the Cottman Avenue interchange. On Wednesday, southbound I-95 will be reduced to two lanes from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., then to one lane from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday through the Cottman Avenue interchange.
“Thanks to the dedication of the workers and continued coordination between the Shapiro Administration, our federal partners and the City of Philadelphia, traffic continues to flow freely on I-95 and we are one step closer to restoring I-95 to its full capacity," Carroll said.
Crews will move and reset temporary construction barriers and repaint lane markings prior to the lane shifts. PennDOT says motorists should allow for extra time for backups and delays.
After the traffic shifts, the temporary roadway will be removed and more work on the permanent structure will begin. The reconstruction project is expected to be finished next year. PennDOT says it plans to reuse the recycled glass material that is currently being used in the temporary roadway for future projects along I-95.
The project has cost more than $20 million, including $4 million for the temporary roadway and $18 million for the permanent roadway unveiled this week. The federal government is funding the repairs.
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Source: Philly Voice
