The effects of the collapse of I-95 on the supply chain are already quite evident. As reported by 6ABC Action News, the collapse will hit the supply chain industry hard. Close to 10% of the vehicles that use the I-95 are commercial trucks. They will now have to take a detour. The detour is around 40 miles. The detour has no interstate highway and is full of traffic lights. 

The Effects of the Collapse

The effects of the collapse are quite clear. The detour will mean more time spent on the road. The same will lead to more costs in time, fuel, and delivery delays. The aim is to work on repairing and restoring the highways as quickly as possible. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg promised the government would intervene, but he also acknowledged that there would be a significant impact on the supply chain. He noted that any delays on the road always find a way to creep into the cost of goods. 

The highway was brought down when a tanker went up in flames below it. The truck was loaded with gasoline. The truck fell and ruptured the tank and burst into flames. The flames interfered with the structure of the highway leading to the collapse. The I-95 is very important for the economy. It serves a wide range of people and industries. About 150,000 vehicles pass through per day. Fourteen thousand of them are commercial trucks. 

The most obvious impact of this menace is traffic. It comes with an economic impact as a result of the delays. Ports and manufacturers within the I-95 will feel the heat of this damage. Freight movement will be badly affected. Drivers will have to spend more time on the road while making deliveries. They will have to go for alternative, less ideal routes. 

A 24/7 work policy will ensure the highway is back up and running as soon as possible. They will first demolish the bridge before working on it. The project is significant and would take some time to work on. It will also take some funding. With all support available, it will not take as much time as people would have worried. 

Twelve days to rebuilt

Twelve days of non-stop work, and the bridge is reopened! Thanks to dozens of workers who worked around the clock, six lanes were opened for motor vehicles on Friday. The remarkable speed of this reconstruction was the result of an emergency declaration signed by the governor of Pennsylvania. Declaration gave the DOT right to replace the bridge as soon as possible, and in less than two weeks, six temporary lanes were opened.