Major traffic problems after a section of the I-95 highway in Philadelphia collapsed

Motorists in Philadelphia suffered from longer commutes Monday after an elevated section of Interstate 95 collapsed yesterday as a result of damage caused by a fire from a tanker truck carrying combustible materials.

The fire forced to decide an indefinite closure of a busy segment of the main highway that connects the north and south of the eastern coast of the United States.

Newscasts warned of traffic nightmares and gave advice on possible road detours, urging drivers to prepare to travel longer than usual.

“This is really going to have a ripple effect throughout the region,” American Automobile Association (AAA) spokeswoman Jana Tidwell warned Monday. She advised people to avoid rush hour.

Tidwell also anticipated that drivers will incur additional costs: “more gas, more wear and tear on their cars, additional tolls, in terms of having to leave Pennsylvania for New Jersey and then back to Pennsylvania.”

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority announced that it is running three additional morning and afternoon trains on its Trenton, New Jersey line, as well as adding capacity to regularly scheduled lines during peak hours, “to help meet the travel needs of the city and the region” after the collapse.

Transportation authorities warned that there are likely to be heavy delays and street closures. They urged drivers to avoid the area, in the far northeast of the city. They added that the tanker truck was carrying a petroleum product that could have been hundreds of liters of gasoline. It took firefighters about an hour to get the blaze under control.

The northbound lanes of I-95 were gone, while the southbound lanes were “compromised” due to heat generated by the fire, Philadelphia fire chief Derek Bowmer said. Runoff from the fire or perhaps ruptured gas lines triggered underground explosions, he added.

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