I-95 in Philadelphia shut down after highway collapse

Philadelphia fire officials said the northbound side of I-95 collapsed and the southbound side has also been compromised.

WASHINGTON — Part of Interstate 95 collapsed early Sunday morning in Philadelphia after a large vehicle fire underneath an overpass, closing the highway in both directions, authorities said.

Video from the scene showed a massive slab covering an entire section of the northbound lanes collapsed onto the surface roadway in northeast Philadelphia. Officials said there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Capt. Derek Bowmer of the Philadelphia fire department said emergency crews responding shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday to an accident report found heavy fire from a vehicle or vehicles. Early reports indicated that the vehicle may have been a tanker truck, but officials said that hadn’t yet been confirmed. The fire was reported to be under control.

Bowmer said the northbound lanes were gone and the southbound lanes were “compromised” due to heat from the fire. He also said runoff from the fire or perhaps compromised gas lines were causing explosions underground. Officials said they were also concerned about the environmental impacts of runoff into the nearby Delaware River.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tweeted that he’s been briefed on the situation and is closely coordinating with partners in Philadelphia, New Jersey and the federal government. 

“For now, please avoid the area and follow the direction of the first responders on the scene,” Shapiro said. 

An official with the City of Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management stated the “roadway’s gone” and warned this is going to be a long situation. 

“Today’s going to be a long day. And obviously, with 95 northbound gone and southbound questionable, it’s going to be even longer than that,” said Dominick Mireles, director of Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management. Heavy construction equipment would be required to start to remove the debris, he said.

The emergency management office said other streets were closed for the response and urged people to avoid the area. They also said they planned to launch a drone to assess the damage.

Interstate 95 stretches from Florida to Maine and is more than 1,900 miles in length. 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.