Where Did I-95 Collapse? I-95 Philadelphia Collapse Explained

Philadelphia can’t seem to catch a break! Already dealing with the poor air quality and smoky smell, the Philly residents woke up to commute nightmares.

On 11th June, a commotion erupted as a hefty portion of the I-95 bridge collapsed. What caused an efficient infrastructure to malfunction after decades of service? Let us navigate Sunday morning.

I-95 Philadelphia Collapses

Time: 6:20 a.m. Location: North East Philadelphia.

During the early hours, officials reported fire from underneath the I-95 bridge. Firefighters were immediately alerted after the rising smoke obscured the interstate.

After about an hour, people reported a loud thud around the area. The bridge collapsed at around 8 a.m. in the morning. The state Transportation Department issued an immediate statement to shut down the lanes. 

What Was The Cause Of I-95 Collapse?

Disclaimer: The following events are still under investigation. These are the reports from the site.

A tanker truck was moving along the underpass of the interstate bridge. The 8500-gallon tanker suddenly caught on fire. According to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official statement, the tank was supposedly carrying “a petroleum product.”

With a surplus amount of combustible fluids, the fire spread at an accelerated time while being concentrated in one specific area. This caused the steel grids on the bridge to gradually melt.

As per experts’ study, the metal used in these grids has a melting point above 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. However, as mentioned before, the intensity of fire progressively added to the heat temperatures on the surface area. As a result, the metal started losing its strength.

For reference—

At 750 degrees Fahrenheit: 20% loss in metal strength.

At 1000 degrees Fahrenheit: 50% loss in metal strength.

Derek Bowmer, battalion chief for the Philadelphia Fire Department, explained the incident–

 “It looked like we had a lot of heat and heavy fire underneath the underpass.”

He further elaborated on the cause of the explosions around the collapse–

“Runoff of maybe some fuel or gas lines that could have been compromised by the accident. We have fire coming out of those manholes.”