A section of northbound I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia will close Monday night for repairs to a bridge damaged by an oversized vehicle strike earlier in the day.
PennDOT announced the closure, which will affect northbound I-95 approaching the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue Interchange. The closure will start at 9 p.m. Monday.
The section of closed highway sits six miles from the Bucks County border.
The damage occurred around 1:30 pm Monday when an oversized vehicle struck a Conrail bridge over the northbound lanes of the highway.
While Conrail engineers assessed the damage, I-95 northbound was reduced to a single lane for several hours. A full closure is now necessary to facilitate repairs, PennDOT officials said.
Details on the closure from PennDOT:
I-95 North approaching the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue Interchange was reduced to a single lane for several hours while Conrail bridge engineers conducted their inspection to establish an emergency repair plan.
Northbound I-95 travelers will be directed to use the Betsy Ross/Aramingo Avenue Interchange (Exit 26), turn right on Aramingo Avenue, and turn right onto Adams Avenue to access the ramp to I-95 north.
The ramp from Castor Avenue to northbound I-95 will also be closed and detoured during construction. Motorists will be directed to use Aramingo Avenue to access the ramp to I-95 North at Adams Avenue.
I-95 North will remain closed for several days approaching the Betsy Ross Bridge/Aramingo Avenue Interchange while Conrail’s contractor performs the bridge repair.
The duration of the closure is estimated to be several days, officials said.
PennDOT expects significant delays on I-95, surrounding roads, and alternate routes. They advised motorists to avoid the area if possible.
Electronic message boards on major highways in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey will be used to inform drivers about the closure and providing detour information.
