According to officials, after an elevated section of Interstate 95 collapsed in Philadelphia on Sunday morning when a tanker truck carrying flammable cargo caught fire beneath the overpass, repairs are anticipated to take "months."
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a press conference on Sunday evening, "With regards to the complete rebuild of I-95 roadway, we expect it to take some number of months." He also said that he plans to issue a disaster declaration to "expedite this process" and "immediately draw down federal funds."
Shapiro claimed that he had spoken directly with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who reassured him that federal funds would be available "absolutely no delay" in rebuilding the "critical roadway" in a safe and timely manner.
Shapiro claims that in the interim, authorities are contemplating "interim solutions to connect both sides of I-95 to get traffic through the area." All paths between the ways out for Philadelphia's Woodhaven Street and Aramingo Road are shut down in the two bearings endlessly, nearby ABC station WPVI announced.
Shapiro stated that the southbound lanes are "not structurally sound to carry any traffic," while the northbound side of the affected segment "completely collapsed." The governor claims that one vehicle is still trapped beneath the collapsed roadway.
He stated, "We are still working to identify any individual or individuals who may have been caught in the fire and the collapse," but later clarified that no one on I-95 was harmed or killed during the incident.
ABC News reviewed a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday that stated that inspectors from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation determined that the southbound portion cannot be reopened and will also need to be replaced.
Despite ongoing inspections, the report stated that the collapsed overpass deck is no longer structurally sound. Gas from the big hauler truck has streamed into storm channels and a sheen was spotted on the water of a close by bay of the Delaware Waterway, which streams for 282 miles along the boundaries of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The U.S. Coast Gatekeeper is at the scene and will keep on working with the Philadelphia Water Division to recognize some other likely natural effects of the fire on the significant stream, as indicated by the report.
According to Coast Guard petty officer Kimberly Reaves, the tanker truck was carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline at the time.
I-95 is the main east-west highway on the East Coast and is one of the busiest travel corridors in the United States. A normal of in excess of 160,000 vehicles traverse the affected segment in Philadelphia consistently, as per a representative for the Pennsylvania Division of Transportation.
President Joe Biden has been advised on the breakdown and his organization is in correspondence with Shapiro as well as Philadelphia City hall leader Jim Kenney, as per White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Government Interstate Chairman Shailen Bhatt will venture out to Philadelphia on Monday to offer bureaucratic help and help.
A group of experts from the Public Transportation Wellbeing Board, in a joint effort with the Pennsylvania State Police, will likewise be nearby Monday to start the on-scene part of their security examination concerning the episode. The NTSB claims that a preliminary report will be available within two to three weeks.
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