Biden hails reopening of I-95 in Philadelphia, points to personal ties and federal efforts

President Biden marked the reopening of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia on Friday by hailing the “grit and determination” of workers who responded to the fire-related collapse and by taking credit for federal efforts to rebuild the highway.

An elevated section of I-95 had been closed since June 11 when a truck hauling gasoline flipped and caught fire, killing the driver and causing the roadway to collapse.

“Thanks to the grit and determination of operating engineers, laborers, cement finishers, carpenters, teamsters, and so many other proud union workers doing shifts around the clock, I-95 is reopening. And it’s ahead of schedule,” Mr. Biden said. “This emergency repair is 100% federally funded and all approvals were given as quick as possible. We also deployed officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the crash site within hours – to help fast-track the effort. We are proving that when we work together, there is nothing we cannot do.”

Mr. Biden recently toured the site with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who said workers were finishing on a temporary roadway that would open at midday Friday while a permanent bridge is constructed.

In his statement Friday, Mr. Biden said he grew up in Claymont, Delaware, not far from the closed portion of I-95.

“I know how important it is to people’s quality of life, the local economy, and the 150,000 vehicles that travel on it every day,” he said. “That’s why I’m so proud of the hard-working men and women on-site who put their heads down, stayed at it and got I-95 reopened in record time.”