By Christopher Harper
In these deeply divided days of partisan politics, it isn’t easy to raise a chapeau when the other side does something right.
Nevertheless, I acknowledge that local, state, and national leaders—most of them Democrats—performed a significant service to Philadelphia and the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware by getting Interstate 95 up and moving in less than two weeks.
On Sunday, June 11, a tractor-trailer caught fire, killing the driver and burning through an overpass on I-95 just north of central Philadelphia. The accident forced the closure of a highway that sees more than 160,000 travelers daily, including many commuters into Philadelphia.
Most experts thought the highway would be closed through much of the summer. But a full-court press, including workers in shifts around the clock, bought a significant fix—albeit temporary—in only 12 days.
Indeed, other countries have shown it can be done. While every project is different, China replaced a section of a bridge overpass in 43 hours back in 2015. Last year, India built a 46-mile stretch of road in five days. Closer to home, a part of Interstate 85 in Atlanta collapsed because of a fire in 2017. Crews completed the repairs in 44 days.
Seeing city, state, and federal leaders working together after the collapse was a welcome sign. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a disaster declaration for the ruined section of I-95, allowing the state to access federal funds for repairs.
“We’ve gotta get it fixed as soon as humanly possible,” said U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, who convinced federal officials to tour the site.
Travelers will have only six out of the usual eight lanes, but that’s a far cry better than snaking through neighborhoods in Northeast Philly. So far, the repair has cost $7 million.
The importance of the project captured the attention of many residents. In fact, a live stream of the work became a must-see event in bars, sports venues, and homes throughout the region.
The euphoria over the quick success, however, has prompted a serious assessment of what else needs to be accomplished in the city.
In an editorial, the Philadelphia Inquirer provided a list:
–The subway system, which provides transportation to about 170,000 people each weekday, faces many problems with aging vehicles and structures.
–The open-air drug market in the Kensington neighborhood just north of downtown—aka Center City—symbolizes the ineffectiveness of policies on addiction, homelessness, and policing.
–The School District of Philadelphia faces an estimated $9 billion needed for building repairs and updates.
“The fast reopening of I-95 is undoubtedly worth celebrating, but none of us should be satisfied to stop there,” the newspaper wrote. “We must demand more of our leaders. If the measure of a society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members —if a community’s actions reflect its values —then what we value shouldn’t just be measured in mile markers.”
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