PHILADELPHIA - Emergency relief funding in the amount of $3 million was made available Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The money will be used as a down payment by PennDOT to offset repair costs for a section of Interstate 95 that collapsed after a gas tanker truck crashed and exploded on Sunday.
Funding will maintain emergency operations and detour routes for the road, which normally carries about 160,000 vehicles on an average day. It will also go towards demolishing damaged structures that officials say became compromised in the explosion.
Officers direct traffic detoured in Philadelphia on Monday, June 12. Drivers began longer commutes Monday after a section of I-95 collapsed a day earlier. The collapse followed damage caused by a tanker truck carrying flammable cargo catching fire. Courtesy Matt Rourke (AP).
"The I-95 corridor is a vital connection for people and goods traveling along the East Coast, and we are working hand in hand with state and local officials to make the necessary repairs," said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. "We know thousands of people and businesses rely on this interstate every day, which is why we are providing this quick release funding to ensure PennDOT can reopen this section of I-95 as quickly as possible."