I-95 collapse: One year since deadly tanker explosion destroyed highway, caused traffic mayhem
PHILADELPHIA - A sunny Sunday morning was suddenly filled with smoke and fire when catastrophe struck a Philadelphia roadway, impacting thousands of lives for months to come.
Tuesday marks one year since a deadly tanker explosion caused parts of Interstate 95 to completely collapse on June 11, 2023.
A tanker truck was carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline when it crashed under an overpass and exploded on the Cottman Avenue exit ramp in Northeast Philadelphia.
I-95 collapse to send ripple effect through East Coast: ‘This is not just a commuter challenge’
One man driving on I-95 moments before the collapse early Sunday morning said he felt a "major bump on the road." Commuters, summer road trippers and commerce drivers will all be feeling the traffic pinch.
The driver was killed as the northbound lanes crumbled to the ground, and southbound lanes were forced to shut down due to damage.
Drivers were left in limbo as crews worked around the clock to get the East Coast's main north-south highway back open.
I-95 collapse: Some local businesses feel negative impact of new traffic patterns as I-95 is rebuilt
Just yards from the corner of State Road and Cottman Avenue, an auto repair and body shop business open since 1996 is suffering from new traffic patterns.
In addition to hours of traffic delays for commuters and visitors, local businesses felt the immediate negative impacts as the city anxiously awaited a return to normal.
Thousands tuned in to watch a live-stream of the 24-hour construction project, which opened a temporary six-lane roadway less than two weeks later.
I-95 collapse: Live camera shows real-time progress of interstate reconstruction
As the reconstruction of the collapsed section of I-95 begins in Philadelphia, local officials are keeping residents and commuters up to date on the progress with a live camera of the site.
Tons of aggregate produced by a local company were used to backfill the temporary rebuild until a permanent solution could be completed.
All eight lanes were finally reopened last month, bringing an end to nearly a year full of traffic woes and uncertainty for the city of Philadelphia.