Drivers began longer commutes Monday after an elevated section of Interstate 95 collapsed in Philadelphia a day earlier following damage caused by a tanker truck carrying flammable cargo catching fire.
Sunday’s fire closed a heavily traveled segment of the East Coast’s main north-south highway indefinitely. Newscasts warned of traffic nightmares and gave advice on detours, urging drivers to take more time to travel.
Transportation officials warned of extensive delays and street closures and urged drivers to avoid the area in the city’s northeast corner. Officials said the tanker contained a petroleum product that may have been hundreds of gallons of gasoline. The fire took about an hour to get under control. A massive concrete slab fell from I-95 onto the road below. Shapiro said his flight over the area showed “just remarkable devastation.”Mark Fusetti, a retired Philadelphia police sergeant, said he was driving south toward the city’s airport when he noticed thick, black smoke rising over the highway. As he passed the fire, the road beneath began to “dip,” creating a noticeable depression that was visible in video he took of the scene, he said.
Motorists were sent on a 43-mile detour, which was going “better than it would do on a weekday,” Rudolph said. The fact that the collapse happened on a Sunday helped ease congestion, but he expected traffic “to back up significantly on all the detour areas.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a Twitter post that President Joe Biden was briefed on the collapse and that White House officials were in contact with Shapiro and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s offices to offer assistance. Buttigieg, in a social media post, called it “a major artery for people and goods” and said the closure would have “significant impacts on the city and region until reconstruction and recovery are complete.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Portion of Interstate 95 collapses in Philadelphia after tanker fire burns under overpassA tanker fire underneath I-95 causes northbound lanes to collapse, all lanes are shutdown.
Read more »
Portion of Interstate 95 collapses in Philadelphia after tanker fire burns under overpassA tractor trailer fire started under an I-95 overpass and spread to the lanes above.
Read more »
Interstate 95 collapse: Huge tanker truck fire shuts down highway outside of PhiladelphiaA large fire on I-95 in North Philadelphia has shut down traffic in all lanes after a portion of the roadway appeared to have collapsed on Sunday morning.
Read more »
Portion of Interstate 95 collapses in Philadelphia after tanker fire burns under overpassA tractor trailer fire started under an I-95 overpass and spread to the lanes above.
Read more »
Portion of Interstate 95 collapses in Philadelphia after tanker fire burns under overpassA tractor trailer fire started under an I-95 overpass and spread to the lanes above.
Read more »
Fire under I-95 in Philadelphia causes section to collapse, closing interstate in both directionsAuthorities say a vehicle fire under an elevated section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia caused a huge portion of the interstate to collapse, closing the highway in both directions
Read more »