Though the problem was initially estimated to cause problems for weeks or months, the crews have already laid asphalt and are working on signage. The Jet Dryer, which is used to dry racetracks, will help dry the road to prep for painting and will clear debris to facilitate faster work. It’s aboard the red truck you see in these images.
Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro tweeted, “To rebuild I-95 on time, we need 12 hours of dry weather to complete the paving and striping process. With rain in the forecast, we reached out to Pocono Raceway for help.”
Amazingly, the highway could reopen as soon as this weekend — just two weeks after the bridge collapsed — thanks to the workers and the massive Jet Dryer. Importantly, the structure that will open to drivers is not permanent. Workers have built temporary lanes to get traffic flowing, and a permanent bridge will be built next to the structure.
The traffic will be rerouted to the new bridge in the future, but no timeline exists for its completion. The project will cost up to $30 million, and the federal government will pick up most of the tab.
The bridge collapse was caused by a tanker truck that crashed and burned underneath it on June 11. The truck exploded and caused the failure of bridge supports, leading to its demise. That part of the highway carries 160,000 vehicles a day, so rebuilding it was a priority. Local officials said that building projects like this can take years to complete, so the fast reopening and plans to rebuild are impressive.
Tags: I-95 bridge, Interstate 95 bridge collapse, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro
