This couldn’t have been picked better if it were a terrorist attack. If a criminal mastermind or enemy had wished to strike at the heart of the East Coast transportation and logistics, this bridge was the sweet spot for utter disruption. It also appears that the driver is missing from the scene.
Tanker truck fire shuts down All lanes of I-95 in North Philadelphia near Cottman Avenue and State Road. Part of the bridge collapsed from the incident. #tankertruck #i95 #bridge pic.twitter.com/KycCIg4zYA
— PPV-TAHOE – News Journalist (@ppv_tahoe) June 11, 2023
The official narrative is that a tanker caught on fire and exploded under this important I95 road bridge, causing the northbound lane to collapse and the southbound to be severely compromised.
How is it all possible that we don’t know who the driver was tanker truck that caused the fire on I-95 in #Philadelphia?
— GeorgeCantStandYa (@stand_george) June 12, 2023
I go through a red light camera and three different law enforcement agencies are breaking down my door 20 minutes later.
#I95Collapse #I95 #Philly pic.twitter.com/DTbAZAySaF
Work to replace and rebuild will take months. The alternative routes are the massively busy New Jersey Turnpike on NJ side and the slow, traffic-light controlled Route 1 on the Pennsylvania side.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg warned the I-95 bridge collapse in Northeast Philadelphia would cause “major disruption” for regional transportation and commuters. The stretch of I-95 will be closed for at least a month while the bridge is being rebuilt.
On Monday, Buttigieg addressed the American Council of Engineering Companies in Washington. He said his agency is working with state and local officials to rebuild the bridge and will provide financing and technical support.
Buttigieg warned summer travel on the I-95 through Philadelphia could be a nightmare.
This is a huge blow to the supply chain. Summer traffic on I-95 from Richmond, VA to Maine is famously choked and slow. Rerouting semis from I-95 will mean massive pressure on alternate routes and many frustrated travelers. The PA governor is touting other routes but this is all lipstick on a pig.
“This is not just about commutes. This is also about supply chains, about 150,000 vehicles a day, and a good percentage of that is trucking. For both vehicle passenger traffic, and for goods moving supply chains, this is going to be a major disruption in that region.”
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
I-95 is a major artery for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and the entire East Coast.
