An Arson Fire Causes Millions of Dollars Worth of Damage to a Pennsylvania Interstate Highway
The emergency rehabilitation of I-95 has become a major inconvenience to commuters throughout the Philadelphia area. Many commuters who do not even utilize the damaged interstate highway have felt the ripple effects, as those who usually do travel I-95 make their way in and around Philadelphia utilizing other paths. The highway’s damage was caused by being literally cooked in a fire that occurred immediately below the roadway. News reports have indicated that the fire was the result of arson. The arsonist had utilized gasoline to ignite old automobile tires which had been illegally dumped below the overpass.
The employees of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PADOT) and their contractor on this emergency rehabilitation, Cornel & Company, Inc., are working around the clock in order to return the corridor to normal. Heavy-duty scaffolding has been erected below the damaged structure, as small pieces of concrete are still spalling and falling around the workers below. The purpose of this scaffolding is to provide support for the structure above and allow temporary travel across one-half of the damaged roadway. Demolition and rebuilding of the opposite half of the roadway can then take place. Upon completion of this work, travel will be allowed on the already rebuilt portion of the overpass as the job is completed. This method will allow two lanes of travel in each direction; whereas, usually four lanes of travel are provided in each direction.
PADOT’s current estimate of scheduling predicts that the roadway will not be back to normal prior to the end of summer 1996. Until that time area travelers will have to tolerate the delays and inconveniences caused by these unforeseen repairs.