NBC10’s Matt DeLucia shows you the traffic backing up Tuesday morning as drivers head onto surface roads due to the closure from the I-95 collapse in Northeast Philadelphia.
What to Know
- A section of Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia collapsed Sunday morning after a truck caught fire.
- Officials warned that it could take months to repair the roadway.
- From alternate routes to SEPTA options, here's how to get around the closure.
A collapse of a section of the roadway due to an early morning truck crash and fire closed a portion of Interstate 95 in both directions in Northeast Philadelphia on Sunday. The traffic impact revealed itself during the Monday commute and will continue to do so during the workdays ahead.
During a Sunday news conference, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said that repairs on I-95 could take "some number of months." On Monday, he signed an emergency declaration to get the process in motion.
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"To expedite the rebuilding of I-95 and cut through the red tape, I issued a disaster declaration allowing the Commonwealth to immediately draw down federal funds and move quickly to begin the repair and reconstruction process," Shapiro said.
Throughout those repairs, NBC10 will continue to provide updates on the best methods of alternative travel.
What stretch of I-95 is closed?
The closure initially closed the highway between Aramingo Avenue and Woodhaven Road. But by Tuesday morning, the closure had been scaled back to between Aramingo and just past Cottman northbound. Drivers could use Milnor Street to access the on-ramp.
Drivers going southbound were still forced off at Cottman Avenue Tuesday morning and then could get back on the highway after following a State Road detour for about 1 mile, reported NBC10 First Alert Traffic reporter Sheila Watko.
(Note that traffic could be worse midweek as more people head into the office.)
Here are some options to get around the closure:
Detour information and routes
Officials released more details on the detours and closures on Monday:
- Castor Avenue on-ramp for I-95 northbound
- Closed
- Aramingo Avenue/I-95 on and off-ramps
- On-ramp to I-95 northbound closed
- Betsy Ross off-ramp to I-95 northbound closed
- Bridge Street ramp
- I-95 on-ramp at Bridge Street closed.
- All traffic on Tacony Street will flow northbound only from Bridge Street to New State Road.
- Tacony Street and Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
- Tacony Palmyra Bridge traffic onto Tacony Street closed. All traffic continues westbound onto Levick Street.
- Cottman Avenue exit and State Road closures
- State Road from Cottman Avenue to Longshore Avenue will be one-way, southbound travel only.
- Southbound I-95 detour
- Exit I-95 southbound at Cottman Avenue.
- At the end of the ramp, right on Bleigh Street.
- Follow Bleigh to State Road, make a left onto State.
- Travel State Road South to Longshore Avenue.
- Re-enter I-95 southbound at State Road and Longshore Avenue.
- Northbound I-95 detour
- Exit I-95 at Aramingo Avenue.
- At the end of the ramp, make a left onto Aramingo Avenue.
- Follow Aramingo Avenue to Tacony Street. Turn right.
- Take Tacony Street northbound around Tacony-Palmyra Bridge loop to New State Road. Continue northbound.
- Travel New State Road to Milnor Street and re-enter I-95 northbound.
Crossing the river
For those who need to travel to Philadelphia from anywhere near Bensalem, Bucks County, or Trenton, New Jersey, it may be possible to avoid some traffic by traveling over the Delaware River by bridge -- perhaps via the Burlington-Bristol Bridge -- and hopping on Route 130 or shooting down 295 towards Cherry Hill. Then, hopping on the Ben Franklin Bridge back over to Center City.
Note that you need to pay a toll to cross bridges into Philadelphia from New Jersey.
I-276
Most drivers will likely opt to travel I-276 on the other side of the Schuylkill in order to avoid the I-95 collapse. That adds a lot of distance however and drivers reported that as of about 11 a.m. Sunday, traffic along I-76 was already moving slowly.
Roosevelt Boulevard
This large, thoroughfare runs right through the heart of Northeast Philadelphia and is another option for those traveling to or from Northeast Philly.
Also, note the prevalence of speed and red light cameras on the boulevard.
Alternative routes
Drivers could also hop off I-95 and travel through the city's river ward neighborhoods, as there are plenty of streets that run parallel to the highway.
Aramingo, Torresdale and Frankford avenues all run parallel to I-95, but as of about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, these roads were already a favorite for drivers looking to escape the gridlock caused by the I-95 collapse. The backups were visible Tuesday morning on Harbison Street.
SEPTA
If you can travel by mass transit, SEPTA is the best bet during the workweek. The Market-Frankford Line and the Trenton Regional Rail line both run alongside I-95.
SEPTA put in place a service plan to support immediate transportation needs over the next 24 to 48 hours as people return to work. Their staff is also evaluating options for a longer-term service plan that will be needed as the repairs take place.
On Monday, SEPTA increased capacity on the Trenton, West Trenton and Fox Chase regional rail lines by adding rail cars to scheduled peak service trains. SEPTA also ran three extra Trenton line trains during the morning and evening rush on Monday:
- 6:40 a.m. to 8:03 a.m. from Trenton along with 8:25 a.m. from Holmesburg Junction
- Trains will run at 3:05 p.m. from Suburban Station to Holmesburg Junction, along with 4:30 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. to Trenton
Parking continues to be free at regional rail stations and SEPTA deployed operations personnel and ambassadors to help customers. Philadelphia Parking Authority parking lots near SEPTA stations are also free. Complimentary parking is available at the following PPA-operated SEPTA train station parking lots:
- Fern Rock Rail Station Lot - 10th & Nedro Streets
- Fox Chase Rail Station Lot - 500 Rhawn Street
- Torresdale Rail Station Lot - 4900 Grant Avenue
Trains on SEPTA's Market-Frankford el are operating every six minutes during peak hours. Parking also continues to be free at the Frankford Transportation Center.
Some SEPTA bus routes were detoured due to the collapse. Customers should check the SEPTA app for information on individual bus routes.
More information is available at SEPTA.org, on SEPTA's twitter account or on the SEPTA app. You can also contact representatives at the SEPTA Customer Service Call Center at 215-580-7800.
