Temp fix of I-95 opening in warp speed

Traffic over I-95 is expected to resume this weekend, less than two weeks after a tanker fire and structural collapse forced a shut down, snarling traffic and creating supply-chain problems along one of the nation's busiest corridors.

Driving the news: Gov. Josh Shapiro said during a news conference Tuesday that crews have worked around the clock – rain or shine – to speed up a rebuild that was initially expected to take months.

Why it matters: I-95 is one of the most important arteries on the East Coast, spanning nearly 2,000 miles from Maine to Florida. The stretch of highway that collapsed in Northeast Philadelphia is typically traveled by 160,000 drivers each day.

Zoom in: It's welcome news for the residents and businesses in the Tacony neighborhood hit by heavy traffic along the State Road detour route.

Details: Shapiro offered the first glimpse of the potential cost of the project, ballparking it at about $25-$30 million.

• He already signed a disaster declaration that freed up $7 million in state aid.
• President Biden, who toured the collapse site over the weekend, pledged that the federal government would fully absorb the costs.

What they're saying: Shapiro has used media briefings to highlight the efforts of officials and construction crews who have had their noses to the grindstone since the collapse.

• "We have moved with all possible speed and precision at every level of government," Shapiro said over the sound of applause. "We're showing the rest of the country that Philly … we're tough. This is what it looks like when the ingenuity of Delco meets the grit of Philly."

Catchup quick: A tanker truck carrying approximately 8,500 gallons of fuel caught fire June 11 underneath the overpass near the Cottman Avenue exit. The northbound lanes collapsed under the intense heat of the flames, and the southbound lanes were compromised and demolished.

• First responders recovered a body in the charred wreckage later determined to be that of Nathan Moody, who worked for a trucking company based in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
• Moody's death was ruled an accident caused by blunt trauma to the head, inhalation and thermal injuries.

How it works: More than 15,000 cubic yards of Pennsylvania-made glass filler has been trucked in and is being paved over the site.

• Three lanes are being constructed each way to allow traffic to resume in both directions while crews work to rebuild outside lanes.

• Once they're completed, traffic will transition to the outside lanes while crews begin work to complete the permanent inner lanes.

PennDot secretary Mike Carroll looked to assuage concerns about the glass aggregate that'll support the temporary roadway.

• It's been used for years in other major highway construction projects from Pennsylvania to Arizona and is strong enough to withstand heavy loads: "It's safe. It's sound. It's ready to go to work," Carroll said.

The intrigue: The speed with which officials have worked to get I-95 back up and running mirrors efforts undertaken by Georgia officials who quickly repaired I-85 following a bridge collapse six years ago.

• That project was supposed to take three to six months but was completed in 43 days. Georgia officials cut red tape on procurement and offered millions in incentives to a contractor to get the job done ahead of schedule.

Similarly, Pennsylvanians have had a window into the work thanks to a livestream that Shapiro admitted he's "completely addicted" to watching.

"There's a sense of civic pride. Folks are cheering for us," he said. "I'm proud [the public is] getting to see what I know about these [workers]. They bust their asses for us every single day."