Jacobs Supports Pennsylvania Department of Transportation After I-95 Collapse

On June 11^th, 2023, a tanker truck hauling 8,000 gallons of gasoline crashed and caught fire at the intersection of I-95 and Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia. The ensuing blaze led to the collapse of an overpass on I-95, shutting down the vital eight-lane highway, which carries more than 140,000 vehicles per day, and ultimately snarling commuters and the movement of goods for the East Coast’s main north -south highway. 

Just 12 days later, state officials and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) celebrated the temporary reopening of the damaged section. Three lanes in both directions were temporarily opened to relieve congestion and economic impacts while a permanent bridge and lanes were rebuilt. Jacobs provided critical consulting services for PennDOT to optimize traffic operations and detour routing to minimize inconvenience to motorists and local residents.  

Working ‘round the clock…

Immediately following the collapse, our local team in the Philadelphia office supported PennDOT as they activated the Incident Command Center (ICC), enabling around the clock response and seamless coordination between the Regional Traffic Management Center and partner agencies including PennDOT Maintenance and Construction units, the local and Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia Streets Department. 

By leveraging origin-destination data from StreetLight Insight®, a Jacobs-owned big data web platform that harnesses connected device and IoT data to measure vehicle, transit, bike, and foot traffic virtually anywhere, we identified and developed alternative routes and detours that helped divert traffic away from the collapse site at both a local and regional level. These efforts minimized congestion and kept people and goods moving around the tri-state area. Our team also identified traffic signal timing needs and mitigation measures for local traffic routes and developed traffic control plans for the emergency closure on the mainline of I-95. 

“Jacobs rapid response and diverse range of services were invaluable during this emergency,” says Jacobs Program Manager Jay Ruit. “By swiftly addressing the crisis, we were able to ensure the safety and efficiency of this critical transportation corridor to keep people and goods moving.” 

… to deliver lasting impacts

Leveraging our long-term partnership with PennDOT, we established response protocols that continue to be implemented across the region. The fast-tracked reopening of I-95 paved the way for the completion of the permanent bridge and lane replacement just a year after the temporary reopening.