Philadelphia Will Do  
 
Tag » Infrastructure « Home

Mar

19

I-95 Still Closed, To Reopen Tonight

031908crack.jpg

Today’s second rush hour A.C. I-95 (after closing of I-95) is going rather smoothly, according to the radio. Rather smoothly, of course, means that Richmond Street has not devoured several cars in a giant potholes and Aramingo Avenue is not the exact location of Hell.

Officials say the stretch of the Delaware Expressway — oddly enough, we only refer to one of our interstate highways that runs parallel to a river by its name, and it’s not this one despite its technical name — between Aramingo and Girard will reopen after rush hour tonight after the giant crap crack in a support beam (pictured) is repaired.

This is the first shutdown of 95 since The Great 95 Tire Fire of 1996, which was just such a great time we all decided to do it again 12 years later. The highway shut down for a week back then, so this week’s two-day shutdown is just a big of mini-nostalgia.

As appears to be customary with every single news event in Philadelphia nowadays, Brian Hickey has issued a press release detailing how John Dougherty would prevent I-95 shutdowns as state senator. I didn’t read it, but I can only assume it means Johnny Doc would get a bunch of union members to hold up the highway themselves. Which, frankly, is just as good as Anne Dicker’s plan of preventing the casinos from opening and using unused poker chips to hold up the highway.

I-95 to reopen tonight [Inquirer]
 
dmac | 9:17 AM | 2 Comments
95, Cracks, Delaware Expressway, Infrastructure, Interstate 95, Johnny Doc, Support Beams
 

Aug

20

Every Bridge In Area About To Collapse

082007franklinbridge.jpg

Hey, remember that bridge that collapsed in Minnesota? Yeah, it wasn’t that long ago, but now we’re on to Hurricane Dean (Cain), so it’s okay if you forgot. Anyway, a bridge collapsed in Minnesota and people died and it was all sad.

The bridge was rated “structurally deficient” before it collapsed, but didn’t have any weight restrictions and remained open. And guess where else there are structurally deficient bridges? Yes: All over the freaking country. Actually, 57 bridges in the area are rated as bad or worse than the Minnesota bridge.

The Minnesota bridge was rated a 50 (out of 100). One bridge, in Bridgeport (duh), is rated a 3. A three! Yet the engineer for the state says: “It’s bad, but it’s safe.” Not to quarrel with someone who knows much more about this than I do, but I think I’ll try to avoid that bridge. Fortunately, I don’t have a car.

Statistically, the chances of you personally being on a bridge when it collapses is most likely infinitesimally low. Or, rather, it would be if every fifteen bridges on I-95 weren’t rated lower than the Minnesota bridge. (Plus: Seven more on the turnpike!) And if you’re headed to New Jersey, the Burlington-Bristol Bridge is actually going to collapse later today, and it doesn’t cost a nickel anymore, so I’d go over the Tacony-Palmyra instead.

57 bridges in area rate ‘deficient’ [Inquirer]
 
dmac | 8:41 AM | 3 Comments
Bridges, Infrastructure, Penndot