PHILADELPHIA, PA
If you travel to and from Philadelphia, you will need an alternate route. A major portion of I 95 collapsed early this morning after a fuel tanker caught fire underneath an overpass. The fuel tanker went up in flames while on Princeton Avenue near the I-95 Cottman Avenue off-ramp.
Preliminary reports indicate that it was a commercial truck carrying a petroleum-based product which was the source of the fire.
The southbound side of the interstate was also compromised in the fire, officials said. It's not structurally sound to carry any traffic over it.
It's expected to take a number of months until the rebuilding of the highway is complete, according to Governor, Josh Shapiro. They are also looking at interim solutions to connect both sides of I-95 to get traffic through the area.
I-95 is a main arterial roadway and plays a critical role in the United States. It goes goes north and south along the East Coast. On average of 160,000 vehicles use the highway each day to through the Philadelphia area, according to PennDOT Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll.
The roadway is closed for a two-mile stretch between Allegheny and Castor Avenue (Exit 25), and Academy Road and Linden Avenue (Exit 32).
According to CBS Philadelphia, this is going to cause a major traffic issue for the foreseeable future and you will need to make alternative plans.
CBS Philadelphia suggests the following detours:
Going around I-95 collapse
Route 1, or Roosevelt Blvd., is the best option to avoid the area if you're traveling north or south, depending on your destination.
Those who are planning to travel on I-95 from the south should consider the Delaware Memorial Bridges or New Jersey Turnpike.
Traveling locally
If you're traveling locally, you can take Torresdale or Frankford Avenues to go around the closed I-95 corridor.
Residents in the area of the collapse can follow updates from PennDOT on their website.
Traveling to/from New Jersey
For those traveling to New Jersey, you should consider the New Jersey Turnpike, I-295 or Route 130. The Betsy Ross Bridge (Exit 26) and Ben Franklin Bridge are also options. However, if you're traveling from the Besty Ross to I-95 South, that area is blocked off.
Tumar Alexander, from the City of Philadelphia Managing Director's Office, said it will be a long time to address this roadway collapse.
Local, state and federal officials said they are all working together to assess the damage before they can work to repair the roadway.
Public transportation
SEPTA has put in place a service plan to support transportation needs in the Philly area for Monday and Tuesday.
The transportation agency is also evaluating options for a longer-term service plan that will be needed for the repairs on I-95.
The transportation service said it will increase capacity on the Trenton, West Trenton and Fox Chase Regional Rail Lines by adding rail cars to scheduled peak service trains.
SEPTA says trains will operate every six minutes during peak hours on the Market-Frankford Line. Some bus routes are currently being detoured due to the collapse.
SEPTA is asking riders to check their app or website for the latest information on specific bus routes.
For those who need up to date information on detours, The Shapiro Administration has set up a web site for regular information and updates::
Source: CBS News Philadelphia/Governor Josh Shapiro
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