I-95 detours continue as Conrail works to repair a railroad bridge that was struck by a truck

For at least a few more days, northbound motorists on I-95 will be forced to detour around a damaged railroad bridge in Port Richmond on a route that looks like the flight path of a drunken bee.

A section of the interstate at Exit 26 near the Betsy Ross Bridge has been closed since a tractor-trailer hauling a mysterious (and massive) steel cylinder crashed into an overhead Conrail bridge Monday.

A Conrail representative said Tuesday afternoon that the company’s repair plan aims to have the bridge repaired and open about 72 hours after the collision, which would be on Thursday.

PennDot’s estimate was a bit more conservative.

“We are optimistic that Conrail’s contractors will complete the repairs efficiently and safely by the weekend,” PennDot said in a statement.

City regulations typically require special hauling permits and, sometimes, a police escort, for oversized cargo traveling on the highway. A representative of the Pennsylvania State Police Troop K said that Philadelphia police were handling escort duty, and referred a reporter to the city department.

Philadelphia police declined to answer questions about the accident or to identify the trucking company involved.

It is the second bridge strike in nine months on I-95 in Philadelphia. In June, a gasoline tanker truck crashed and burned under the interstate at Cottman Avenue, closing the highway for two weeks.

» READ MORE: The tale of I-95's rapid 12-day recovery – frame-by-frame

“We hope to have everything fixed within 72 hours, while allowing for whatever might come up” during repairs, said Steve Magourik, a legal project management specialist for Conrail.

Magourik said he had no information on what the cylinder was, where it was headed, or where it originated. He said the bridge sustained damage when the cylinder struck it.

Crews for the company’s contractor were working on the underside and the top of the bridge Tuesday afternoon. Repairs began Monday night, PennDot said.

“They will be working 24 hours a day, nonstop,” Magourik said. Contractors were inspecting the bridge within a few hours of the crash and drawing up the repair plan.

NJ Transit has suspended its Atlantic City Rail Line service from 30th Street Station; it uses the bridge to cross into New Jersey. Passengers can board the Atlantic City train in Cherry Hill, the agency said. It was offering bus service from 30th Street.

“The bridge strike remains under investigation,” PennDot’s statement said. The agency conducting that investigation was not clear.

Meanwhile, detours are ahead, particularly as Wrestlemania is expected to draw about 200,000 people to the city over the weekend.

Conrail is working with the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, PennDot and NJ Transit.

Inquirer staff writers Rob Tornoe and Beatrice Forman contributed to this article.