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President Biden on Saturday pledged the federal government’s full support for reconstruction in Pennsylvania after a section of Interstate 95 collapsed near Philadelphia over the weekend.
The president delivered remarks at the Philadelphia airport after an aerial view of the damage on I-95 where a tanker truck caught fire under an overpass that caused the collapse last weekend. A delegation of Pennsylvania officials was with the president, including Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, Senators Bob Casey, D-Pa., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Representative Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., representing the Philadelphia area.
“I want to say we’re with you. We’re staying with you until this is rebuilt, until it’s completely finished,” Biden said.
“As far as I am concerned, there is no more important project in the country at the moment.”
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President Biden watches live footage of a section of Interstate 95 being rebuilt after a collapse in Philadelphia on June 17, 2023. Biden pledged the federal government’s full support for post-disaster reconstruction. (Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images)
The collapse is causing heavy traffic in Philadelphia as the summer travel season begins, upending hundreds of thousands of morning commutes, disrupting countless businesses and forcing trucking companies to seek alternative routes.
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A body was pulled from the wreckage. The resulting fire caused the collapse of the northbound lanes of I-95. Southbound lanes were affected by the heat from the blaze, authorities say.
Construction crews began work on constructing a temporary roadway after debris from the collapse was demolished days ahead of schedule, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said Friday.
All lanes of I-95 were closed early Sunday in both directions between the Woodhaven and Aramingo exits due to a fire and subsequent road collapse, officials said. Human remains were found at the site, authorities reported on Monday. (Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management)
Praising those who worked quickly to clear debris, Biden said $3 million in federal emergency funds was made available immediately to offset the cost of repairs.
“This is just a down payment,” Biden said. “We’re going to get a lot more federal funding out the door in the coming weeks.”
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Shapiro said on Saturday that, with help from the federal government, I-95 will reopen within two weeks.
“We are going to get traffic moving again thanks to the extraordinary work being done here by these unionized workers,” said Shapiro.
Firefighters were working on a section of I-95 in North Philadelphia that collapsed during a major fire early Sunday. (FOX29 Philadelphia WTXF)
Fetterman also spoke, comparing the moment to when he and Biden visited a collapsed bridge in western Pennsylvania last year.
“He promised to make sure that all the resources they needed and all the help and support — and guess what? And guess what?
Biden said the federal government will reimburse Pennsylvania “100%” of the costs during the first 200 days of reconstruction and 90% thereafter. The president said more than 150,000 vehicles use I-95 every day, including 14,000 trucks.
“It’s critical to our economy. It’s critical to our quality of life,” Biden said. “We will continue to do everything we can to get this back open as quickly and easily as possible and won’t leave until it’s done.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a writer for Fox News Digital. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
