Demolition of collapsed section of I-95 completed

The first step in repairing the collapsed section of I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia — demolishing the damaged southbound portion of the highway — has been completed, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced Thursday night.

Demolition crews on Thursday finished their work on the section of highway damaged Sunday when a crashed tanker truck caught on fire, the governor’s office reported. I-95′s northbound lanes collapsed as the blaze melted steel girders that held up the structure, creating an ongoing snarl of traffic in the area. The truck driver, Nathan Moody, was killed.

Now, with the compromised area over the Cottman Avenue exit removed, workers will truck in 2,000 tons of recycled glass pieces and use it to fill in the demolished section.

“Now that demolition is complete, Philadelphia-based Buckley & Company will begin to fill in the damaged area in order to rebuild the new section of road — and they have already delivered the first shipments of foamed glass aggregate to the work site,” Shapiro’s office said. “PennDot employees and contractors will continue working 24/7 to reopen the roadway safely and as quickly as possible.”

Shapiro announced the impending completion of demolition on Wednesday. Viewers can follow the process in real time with a livestream posted to PennDot’s website at https://pacast.com/live/I95.

“We realize this is a challenge for motorists,” Shapiro said Wednesday. “That’s why these guys are working their tails off to get it done as quickly as possible.”

The recycled glass that will be used for the temporary repairs is a material known as foamed glass aggregate from the Eddystone-based Aero Aggregates of North America. Made from discarded glass, the material is a lightweight, gravel-like substance that weighs about one-sixth as much as regular soil.

Workers will use the material to create a temporary six-lane highway in the damaged section that drivers can use while a new bridge is created. The Cottman Avenue exit ramp will remain closed throughout construction.

It isn’t yet clear how long it will take to create the new temporary roadway, or to complete the rebuilding process in full. Shapiro previously said it would be a monthslong process.

Also unclear is the total cost of the project. On Wednesday, PennDot Secretary Mike Carroll said that Buckley & Co., the firm hired to rebuild the roadway, has an “open-ended contract,” which he called “very common in such a scenario.”

Founded in 1928, Buckley & Co. is a major regional construction firm known for its work on large municipal infrastructure projects, including the construction of SEPTA rail stations, 1980s-era repairs to City Hall’s tower, and a series of major highway rebuilds over several decades.

Notably, the company was called in twice for emergency repairs on I-95 in the past — once following an infamous 1996 tire fire, then again following another tanker truck crash in 1998.

The cost of the rebuild will be paid for with federal money, Shapiro said. On Monday, he signed an emergency declaration that freed up $7 million in state funding that would allow the demolition to begin immediately.

On Wednesday, the Federal Highway Administration announced the approval of $3 million in emergency relief funding. President Joe Biden, Shapiro said, has “made it clear that the federal government will provide whatever Pennsylvania needs to repair I-95.”