Major US highway could take months to repair after collapse

Drivers are facing extended commutes after a section of one of the largest transportation routes on the East Coast buckled and fell.

The collapse of a main road it has resulted in congested traffic that could affect transportation routes throughout the eastern United States.

Drivers experienced extended commutes Monday after a tanker caught fire and damaged a section of Interstate I-95 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. resulting in the temporary closure of one of the busiest routes in the area.

“This is really going to have a ripple effect throughout the region,” Jana Tidwell, a spokeswoman for the American Automobile Association (AAA), said Monday.

Officials have said it could take several months to repair the stretch of I-95 that collapsed Sunday morning. A traffic map from local news station 6abc Action News Philadelphia showed traffic in some areas near a standstill.

SEPTA is offering more services more frequently to help meet the travel needs of the city and region following the collapse of I-95 on Sunday.

This includes additional service on the Trenton Line. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/EUAJz5AGbY

— ISEPTAPHILLY (@SEPTAPHILLY) June 12, 2023

The interstate is the main north-south highway on the East Coast, running from Miami, Florida, to the Canadian border in the northern state of Maine. Some 160,000 vehicles use the currently closed section of highway every day.

Governor of Pennsylvania joseph shapiro he has urged residents to find alternative routes, take public transportation or work from home if possible. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority said it has increased capacity to help serve the additional travelers in the region.

Shapiro said he would make a disaster declaration Monday, making federal funds available for repair work.

US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg He said federal authorities are cooperating with state authorities to fix the highway.

“This is going to be a huge disruption in that region,” Buttigieg said, noting that the timeline for those repairs was “definitely not days.”

Officials say the heavily traveled stretch of I-95 will be unusable for at least months. https://t.co/Y05OpHhKEC

— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) June 12, 2023

“I mean, if it’s weeks, we’re not talking about a couple,” he said, adding that supply chains could also be affected.

No deaths or injuries have been reported from the highway collapse.

Shapiro called the scene “just remarkable devastation,” adding that during a flight over the site, “I found myself thanking the Lord that no motorists on I-95 were injured or killed.”