I-95 bridge repairs delayed by weather, expected to be complete this weekend
Northbound lanes of I-95 in Port Richmond have been closed since the railroad bridge was struck by a tractor-trailer on Monday. Repair work on the damaged railroad bridge over I-95 in Port Richmond, Philadelphia, has been delayed due to weather conditions and delays. The bridge was hit by a tractor-trailer, causing a closure of the northbound lanes of I-1995 in PortRich. The parts of the damaged bridge have been removed and the contractor is working on replacing them with new materials. Despite these setbacks, Conrail remains optimistic that the contractor will complete the job expeditiously this weekend. The incident occurred on a busy stretch of I95, marking the second bridge strike in nine months along the stretch of the interstate in Philadelphia.
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Published : 4 weeks ago by Nick Vadala in Weather
Work crews attend to damage to railroad bridge over I-95 as seen from Luzerne near Richmond Street on Tuesday. Read more
Repair work continues on the damaged railroad bridge that forced a closure of the northbound lanes of I-95 in Port Richmond after it was struck by a tractor-trailer Monday.
Bridge components damaged in the crash have been removed, and bridge owner Conrail’s contractor is working on replacing those pieces with new materials, a PennDot spokesperson said. And as a result of the rainy weather the region has experienced this week, repair work has faced some setbacks.
“Although the work was delayed due to inclement weather, Conrail remains optimistic that the contractor will complete the job expeditiously this weekend,” PennDot safety press officer Krys Johnson said.
Conrail did not immediately respond to request for comment. However, earlier this week, a representative from the company said that Conrail aimed to have the bridge repaired roughly 72 hours after the collision Monday, which would have made Thursday the day for completing the fixes had that timeline worked out.
PennDot previously said that it was “optimistic” that repairs would be completed by the weekend. It was not immediately clear how much time there would need to be between repairs being completed and the highway being reopened.
A section of I-95 near the Betsy Ross Bridge has been closed since a tractor-trailer hauling a massive steel cylinder crashed into the overhead Conrail bridge Monday. Northbound lanes have been closed in Port Richmond since then, causing delays and detours.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said Wednesday that PennDot officials approved the route for the tractor-trailer, and Philadelphia police were escorting the truck at the time it struck the bridge. The state transportation agency, she said, was responsible for making sure the vehicle would be able to fit under bridges on its route.
“Clearly, there was some type of discrepancy between the height of the truck and the clearance of the bridge … But the PPD did their job,” Parker said.
A PennDot spokesperson told The Inquirer that it was the responsibility of the trucking company to plan safe routes for their vehicles.
The incident marked the second bridge strike in nine months along the stretch of I-95 that runs through Philadelphia. Previously, in June, a gasoline tanker truck crashed under the interstate at Cottman Avenue, resulting in a blaze that closed the highway for two weeks before workers installed a temporary bridge.
A permanent bridge is scheduled to be constructed there this year.