Flanked by Pres. Joe Biden and an entourage of politicians, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the incinerated and razed section of I-95 near Philadelphia will be reopened before the Fourth of July Weekend. The announcement came at a news conference with a splashy “Joe Biden Rebuilding I-95” sign in front of the podium and the launch of live-streaming access to the rebuild.
Gov. Shapiro made the bold prediction after Transportation Sec Pete Buttigieg pledged federal support and Pres. Biden indicated that 100 percent of the initial costs would come from D.C. Reports indicate federal money would dip to 90 percent after 200 days, which seems counterintuitive to a two-week reopening.
“I can state with confidence that we will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks,” Shapiro reportedly said, standing with the president and a “Joe Biden Rebuilding I-95” sign in front of the podium. “We are going to get traffic moving again thanks to the extraordinary work that is going on here by these union trade workers.”
The press conference announcement came just six days after 8,500 gallons of fuel turned the highway into an inferno and a trucker lost his life. Demolition crews were quick to tear down unsafe elevated northbound lanes. After the southbound lanes were deemed unstable, they too were razed.
The two-week timeline seems aggressive, especially considering the seeming snail’s pace of many roadwork projects. But the sense of urgency may be driven by the fact 150,000 motorists travel the area daily, including 14,000 heavy-duty trucks. It also presents a pivotal White House policy boost, given the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package being rolled out.
“I’ve directed my team … to move heaven and earth to get this done as soon as humanly possible. There’s no more important project right now in the country as far as I’m concerned,” Biden reportedly said. “We’re with you. We’re going to stay with you until this is rebuilt, until it’s totally finished.”
Biden followed the I-95 press conference with a 2024 presidential campaign stop in front of union members.
The rebuilding plan involves trucking in 2,000 tons of glass pebbles. Instead of rebuilding the overpasses, crews are reportedly working 24/7 to construct a mound to use as a foundation for the elevated section of the interstate. Gov. Shapiro established a live stream of the ongoing reconstruction, allowing people to monitor its progress.
“They’re watching it at Philly sports bars all the time,” Shapiro reportedly said.
Sources:
https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/i95-collapse-bridge-reopen-rebuilding-20230617.html
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