Philadelphia's Platt Bridge reopens after car fire stops traffic
The Platt Bridge near the Philadelphia International Airport has reopened Tuesday morning after a car fire stopped traffic in both directions for several hours.
Watch CBS News
The Platt Bridge near the Philadelphia International Airport has reopened Tuesday morning after a car fire stopped traffic in both directions for several hours.
A fatal three-car collision closed both lanes of the George C. Platt Bridge in southwest Philadelphia early Monday.
Crews responded to a car fire on the Platt Bridge on southbound I-95 near the Philadelphia International Airport around 11 a.m.
The lane reopened about 30 minutes later.
Drivers are advised to allow additional time to travel around the Platt Bridge (Route 291) during its closure.
After a $43 million renovation project that shutdown half of the Platt Bridge for almost two years, commuters can now breathe a sigh of relief as the whole bridge is now open and ready for use.
The bridge will be closed and detoured from 8 p.m. Friday, September, 13th to 3 a.m. Sunday, September 15th for construction on the 93-span structure.
The ban will be in effect for the next two years. Commercial trucks of 14,000 pounds or more, and any vehicles with hazardous materials will be prohibited from the Platt Bridge.
"In the interest of public safety and keeping the bridge from being closed for a prolonged period of time, we can eliminate that potential for any truck incidents and any type of incident involving a hazardous materials spill," Gene Blaum of PennDOT says.
Penndot is now looking at stepped-up speed enforcement and more warning signs to slow drivers down.
Lane restrictions are coming to the Platt Bridge starting Monday night as PennDot gets ready to repair the much traveled stretch of Route 291 that crosses the Schuylkill River.
A driver is dead and three construction workers are injured after an accident on the Platt Bridge.
Police have cleared all lanes of Southbound I-95 at the Girard Point Bridge after a multi-vehicle crash that occurred just before 6 a.m.
