Gov. Shapiro signs disaster declaration for Philadelphia after I-95 collapse
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday signed a disaster declaration for Philadelphia after a vehicle fire led to a bridge collapse on Interstate 95. The fire and collapse happened near the Cottman Avenue exit in Northeast Philadelphia on Sunday morning.
Shapiro's declaration will free up federal funding and make the reconstruction of I-95 a priority.
"To expedite the rebuilding of I-95 and cut through the red tape, this morning, I issued a disaster declaration," Shapiro said, "allowing the commonwealth to immediately draw down federal funds and move quickly to begin the repair and reconstruction process."
RELATED: What you need to know about the I-95 collapse
Shapiro says his administration is "all hands on deck to repair I-95 as safely and as efficiently as possible."
The declaration frees up $7 million in state funds to repair I-95 and authorizes state police, the Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to use any resources necessary. It also waives bidding and contracting procedures and other formalities dictated by law, the governor said.
The declaration will be in place for 21 days but can be extended by the state legislature.
Sen. Bob Casey, Congressman Brendan Boyle and others were all part of a briefing and tour of the rubble Monday.
"This is a critical roadway, not just for Northeast Philadelphia, not just for the Philadelphia region, but for the entire Mid-Atlantic," Boyle said.
Boyle and Casey both say they've spoken with President Joe Biden about the collapse and the need for urgency in getting dollars to the state. Casey says Pennsylvania now has access to after Shapiro signed the disaster declaration.
"I know that I and Senator [John] Fetterman and our entire congressional delegation will be focused on getting those dollars that are going to be needed to make sure that I-95 is rebuilt," Casey said.
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The Federal Highway Administration has also been involved in the aftermath of the collapse.
Administrator Shailen Bhatt says its focus is redirecting semis carrying things like food and other products and trying to ward off economic issues along the way.
"It's a vital freight issue," Bhatt said. "And supply chain is something we've been very focused on. There's 160,000 vehicles that are using that. Eight percent of that being trucks."
Casey says the federal funding will come from an emergency relief program and will allow the state to be reimbursed by the feds for expenses related to rebuilding the interstate.
