I-95 collapse: Some local businesses feel negative impact of new traffic patterns as I-95 is rebuilt

TACONY - Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Transportation is predicting progress will soon be seen at the collapsed section of I-95 as workers have begun to fill the gaping hole on the once-busy span.

Friday morning, a large conveyor belt was angled over the opening in the highway while below workers drop the glass aggregate along a wall. From the air, the massive support beams are gone fully exposing the gaping hole to be filled and capped with pavement before traffic returns.

The head of PennDOT, Michael Carroll, said workers were dropping the aggregate fill where the highway footings once were. "I consider it filling the hole," said Carroll. "There’s a void where the material is goin,g so by virtue of the material filling, I would say we’re filling the hole and that will continue."

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Just yards from the corner of State Road and Cottman Avenue, Joe Notarianni has run his auto repair and body shop business since 1996. Notarianni said he has never seen anything like this and called it crazy. State Road, running in front of Notarianni’s business, is one way and jammed with vehicles exiting 95 and jumping back on down the road.

He says the collapse has "collapsed" his business 70 percent. "I can’t get parts out the door. Can’t drop cars off, can’t pick cars up, can’t get parts delivered to me. It’s a challenge all the way around."

He said he cannot sustain a 70 percent fall of in business over a long period of time. He needs State Road to once become a two-way road. It is now one-way and being used as the go around for motorists getting off and jumping back on down the road.

At Currans Irish Inn, on State, there’s a sign drawing customers to the parking lot. Inside, regulars are bellied up to the bar enjoying lunch while bartender Laurie Ritter is making the best of it, and said business is picking up with the help of the Inn’s regulars. Ritter added, "It’s not a total disaster. We’re remaining positive. We still have our locals that come in all the time."