I got calls from friends all over the country yesterday, asking about the I-95 collapse.
Well, it ain't pretty. I know the section where the fire happened, and I'm assuming (based on my own experience) the tanker went around the ramp just a little too fast. (Just as a point of interest for history buffs, you will have a lot of trouble getting anywhere near Four Seasons Total Landscaping.)
A section of northbound I-95 in Philadelphia collapsed Sunday after a tanker truck caught fire underneath the highway. The southbound side is also “compromised by heavy fire,” city officials said Sunday.
I-95 is an important artery for not only the East Coast, but for regional transportation and commuters in Philadelphia. The affected portion of I-95 carries about 150,000 vehicles per day, of which 14,000 are trucks, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission said Sunday.
Along with traffic, there could be an economic impact from a closure this massive, snarling commutes and complicating deliveries. Tumar Alexander, managing director for the City of Philadelphia, said the incident will have “a significant impact to this community for a while.”
[...] The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management urged travelers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.
Those "alternate routes" are clogging up my neighborhood as we speak.
