Pennsylvania governor makes ambitious I-95 promise during Biden visit

🔴 Work continues 24/7 on a temporary roadway where an overpass collapsed on I-95

🔴 The cost of the project has not been disclosed by officials

🔴 Gov. Josh Shapiro said it will be done by July 1

PHILADELPHIA — Your commute on Interstate 95 will become a bit more normal as the temporary roadway to temporarily replace a collapsed overpass will be open within the next two weeks, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro.

After initially not committing to a time frame for completion when the project was first announced, Shapiro made the announcement during a visit by President Joe Biden on Saturday. Shapiro and Biden toured the site from the presidential helicopter Marine One.

“We will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks,” said Shapiro. “This is our championship.”

Federal help

Biden said that he has directed his team to assist with the project no matter what it takes. Shapiro and PennDOT still have not said how much the replacement roadway and new overpasses will cost except to say the federal government is paying for it.

“I know how important this stretch of highway is” to Philadelphia and the Northeast Corridor, Biden said. "Over 150,000 vehicles travel on it every day, including 14,000 trucks. … It’s critical to our economy and it's critical to our quality of life.’’

The president called the plan to fill in the roadways with 2,000 tons of lightweight glass nuggets "incredibly innovative."

The temporary roadway will carry three lanes of traffic in each direction while the overpasses are rebuilt.

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