© Reuters. A general view shows the partial collapse of Interstate 95 following a fire under an overpass in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, June 11, 2023. City of Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management/Researched via REUTERS
By Garrett Renshaw
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – A section of a vital highway on the East Coast of the United States collapsed in Philadelphia after a tanker truck carrying gasoline caught fire under an overpass, officials said on Sunday.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries, but officials said the situation remains volatile and investigators are still looking at the site of the collapse.
Smoke billowed from the ruins of the collapsed section of the northbound lanes of I-95, the main north-south highway on the East Coast, running from Miami through Washington and New York before ending at the Canadian border in Maine. Officials said the south bridge was closed because the fire made it structurally unsound.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told a news conference that it will likely take “a few months” to fully rebuild the road, which passes about 160,000 vehicles a day. He said he would sign a disaster declaration on Monday, providing federal money and other aid.
Shapiro said the tanker was carrying “petroleum product” but gave no further details. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the tanker was carrying gasoline. The NTSB sent a team to investigate.
Shapiro said that while a “very slight sheen” could be seen in the Delaware River near where the gasoline tanker caught fire indicating that some gasoline might have spilled onto it, booms were quickly put into the water to contain the spread.
“There is no danger to anyone’s drinking water,” Shapiro said.
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the collapse and the White House has offered assistance to state and local officials, according to White House press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said closing I-95 would have “significant impacts” on the region and the city of Philadelphia.
This stretch of the I-95 corridor is located in the dense northeastern part of Philadelphia and connects the city to its northern suburbs, such as Bucks County.
On a Sunday in the summer it is routinely used by beachgoers returning home from the Jersey Shore. During the week, it is crowded with commuters and vehicles traveling to Boston, Baltimore, and Washington.
Officials said travelers should expect delays and encouraged them to plan alternative travel routes, including trains, for their commute.