Vehicle trapped under rubble as officials warn it will take ‘months’ to fix overpass
A massive explosion in Philadelphia caused a stretch of I-95 to collapse on Sunday, leaving at least one vehicle trapped under tons of rubble. While there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities, officials warn that it will take months to rebuild the destroyed overpass. The northbound lanes on the highway collapsed entirely, while the southbound lanes remain unstable.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said that emergency crews are still working to identify any individual or individuals who may have been caught in the fire and the collapse. A tractor-trailer carrying “a petroleum-based product” caused the explosion that ended up collapsing the overpass at 6:20 a.m. Sunday.
“To expedite this process and to cut through the red tape, tomorrow morning I plan to issue a disaster declaration allowing the commonwealth to immediately draw down federal funds and move quickly to repair and reconstruct this roadway,” said Shapiro. He has spoken directly to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the calamity, and Buttigieg has assured him that there will be no delay in getting federal funds deployed to quickly help repair the critical artery.
State transportation officials are scrambling to set up alternate routes and public transportation to help commuters bypass the ruptured roadway. Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said a contractor was hired on the spot and had equipment at the scene within hours of the blast to clear debris and begin the repair effort.
“It is our goal to be as quick in our response and our remediation of the challenges as we can,” said Carroll. “The challenges will be real when it comes to traffic movement in the city as a result of this incident. But working with our partners in the Philadelphia Police Department and others, I’m confident that we will get past this.”
FAQs:
What caused the explosion?
A tractor-trailer carrying “a petroleum-based product” caused the explosion.
Were there any injuries or fatalities?
There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities.
How long will it take to rebuild the overpass?
Officials warn it will take “some number of months” to rebuild the destroyed overpass. A specific timeline will be set forth once the engineers in Penn DOT have completed their review.
What is being done to help commuters bypass the ruptured roadway?
State transportation officials are scrambling to set up alternate routes and public transportation to help commuters bypass the ruptured roadway.
Will federal funds be deployed to help with the repair effort?
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has spoken directly to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the calamity, and Buttigieg has assured him that there will be no delay in getting federal funds deployed to quickly help repair the critical artery.
Officials warn it will take ‘months’ to fix overpass as vehicle is trapped under rubble.
A section of the vital I-95 highway in Philadelphia collapsed on Sunday after a tanker explosion, trapping at least one vehicle underneath the rubble. Officials stated that it will take “some number of months” to rebuild the overpass. Speaking at the scene, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed that there had been no reports of injuries or fatalities, but warned that the situation “remains fluid.” The northbound lanes collapsed entirely, whilst the southbound lanes remain unstable. Shapiro added that a disaster declaration is set to be issued, allowing access to federal funds and streamlined reconstruction efforts.