The collapsed portion of Interstate 95 is expected to reopen within the next two weeks.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced the timeline on Saturday, June 17th after flying over the project in a helicopter with President Biden, members on Congress, and the Philadelphia mayor.
“We are getting it done here in Philly,” Shapiro said, reported AP News.
“I can state with confidence that we will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks. We are going to get traffic moving again thanks to the extraordinary work that is going on here.”
“I’ve directed my team … to move heaven and earth to get this done as soon as humanly possible,” Biden said of the build. “There’s no more important project right now in the country as far as I’m concerned. We’re with you. We’re going to stay with you until this is rebuilt, until it’s totally finished,” he said at the briefing.
The plan to fill the gap in the roadway with recycled glass nuggets for temporary traffic flow, build another bridge, redirect traffic, and finish the permanent repair was called “incredibly innovative in order to get this work done in record time” by the President.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has promised assistance from the federal government to repair the destruction. He also warned of the potential rise in costs for goods in the meantime as truckers travel longer routes to deliver products.