If you plan to use Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, here are some factors to consider.
A portion of Interstate 95 may be closed for an extended time after a tanker fire early Sunday morning caused a portion of the highway to collapse. One person was found dead in the rubble, authorities said Monday afternoon.
“We are looking at many months, but who knows for sure. Therefore, plan for this part of the road to be closed in both directions,” said Jana Tidwell, spokeswoman for the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Tidwell encouraged travelers to take Amtrak or any mode of transportation that avoids the area.
More than 150,000 vehicles per day use this stretch of I-95.
WHAT ARE SOME ALTERNATIVES TO I-95 IN PHILADELPHIA?
The Delaware Memorial Bridge, Commodore Barry Bridge, Walt Whitman Bridge, and Ben Franklin Bridge are options.
Maryland transportation officials said they are monitoring the situation and will continue to share messages about the progress of repairs to the digital signs along I-95.
Our friends at NBC Philadelphia have some travel tips, too.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE MECHANICS OF COLLAPSE?
There are federal rules about how often these types of trucks must be inspected and even where they are supposed to park and for how long. A truck carrying the type of fuel that the truck in question had, is not supposed to remain parked, in most cases, for a long time. The heat that type of truck would generate if it caught fire is almost hard to imagine.
“Steel loses about half of its strength when it reaches a temperature of 600 degrees Celsius, and this is the kind of temperature in steel members you would expect if a tanker caught fire directly under the structure,” Thomas said. Gernay, an assistant professor in the department of civil engineering at John Hopkins University.
The emergency could spark discussion about better protection of high-volume bridges and overpasses, though what happened has been called a perfect storm of events.
