This morning Franklin the Dog, Phang, the Phillie Phanatic, Gritty, and Swoop were on the 2nd firetruck to cross the repaired I-95 bridge in Philadelphia.
12 days. I'm impressed.
Philadelphia firefighters riding aboard Engine 38 sailed across a section of I-95 Friday, reopening the East Coast’s main expressway. The ride came just 12 days after a blazing gasoline tanker-truck crash destroyed a bridge over the northbound Cottman Avenue exit ramp.
Right after Engine 38, the first fire company at the scene of the June 11 collapse, came Gritty, standing atop a ladder truck beside Philadelphia’s other sports mascots and pumping his furry fists — an exclamation point on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s praise for the “grit” of the 200 union construction workers who got the highway open months ahead of initial estimates, all while being broadcast live online.
“Over the past 12 days, the eyes of the nation have been on Pennsylvania. We’ve shown them what our grit, our determination, are all about. We showed them good government in action,” Shapiro said at a news conference on the temporary six-lane roadway over I-95, moments before traffic once again began flowing.
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State officials initially estimated it would take until early July to reopen the road to the public. But a cautious timeline, coupled with vigorous federal support, led to a quicker reopening.
PennDot decided to build a temporary roadway by filling in the gap with aggregate made of recycled glass and paving over the top of the massive pile. The approach allowed the highway to reopen sooner and, officials hope, will help relieve traffic congestion in the Northeast Corridor.
Six 11-foot-wide lanes — three in each direction — opened at noon. The first civilians to drive the northbound lanes honked their horns, and some waved at the workers in hard hats, public officials, and others on the southbound side, marking the occasion with a news conference.
So, why does it take 20 years and 12 billion dollars to at a subway line?
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