Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro provided an update Sunday evening regarding the collapse of a portion of an interstate following a large fire underneath the structure.
Officials say a tanker truck carrying a “petroleum-based product” caught fire under the interstate near Cottman Avenue, causing the northbound overpass to collapse. Traffic was brought to a standstill after the incident, which occurred along I-95 in the state’s capitol of Philadelphia, according to reports.
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Shapiro provided new details during a press briefing, saying: “While this is still very much an active scene, I’ve just completed an aerial view of the sight and received a briefing from law enforcement, first responders and transportation experts on the ground, together with Mayor Kenney. As has been reported, the northbound side of I-95 has completely collapsed.”
The governor also confirmed the southbound side of I-95 is not structurally sound, making it unable to carry any traffic.
“In response, PennDOT, the City of Philadelphia and SEPTA, under the leadership of Leslie Richards, who joins us today, have created detours and are working on further alternative methods to ensure folks can safely get to where they need to go. We’re also looking at interim solutions to connect both sides of I-95 to get traffic through the area. With regards to the complete rebuild of I-95 roadway, we expect that to take some number of months.”
Shapiro additionally confirmed that emergency personnel are in the process of working to identify whether anyone has been trapped in the fire or beneath the collapsed overpass.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenny has also urged residents to follow the Office of Emergency Management’s Twitter account, which has been providing updates.
The City and partners are currently responding to a partial highway collapse of a section of I-95.
We’ll continue to provide updates to residents, including information about detours and travel alternatives.
Follow @PhilaOEM for updates. https://t.co/ppaiXiJeum
— Mayor Jim Kenney (@PhillyMayor) June 11, 2023
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At around 6:30 a.m EST., a fuel tanker truck caught fire underneath Interstate 95 on Cottman Avenue. All northbound lanes collapsed at the location of the fire. As a result, the entire highway between the Woodhaven and Aramingo exits was brought to a close.
It remains unclear what caused the fire.
