Who woulda thunk it?

“Over the past 12 days, the eyes of the country have been on Pennsylvania. We showed them what our grit and determination can accomplish, and we showed them good government in action.”

On Friday morning, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll officially reopened six lanes of traffic on I-95 less than two weeks after a deadly fire and collapse of the roadway.

“This is what we can do when government at all levels come together to get the job done,” Shapiro added. “Let this serve as an example to all that Pennsylvania can do big things. When we come together, when we’re determined, we can do big things in this city and in this Commonwealth – and this is proof.”

Shapiro and Carroll stood alongside the new, temporary lanes with other government and union officials and thanked those involved, including President Joe Biden, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton and state Sen. Jimmy Dillon, along with more than 200 building trades members. The latter worked around the clock in the rain, the heat and on holidays (including Father’s Day) to rebuild the venerable roadway.

In a statement, Biden thanked “the hard-working men and women on site who put their heads down, stayed at it, and got I-95 reopened in record time,” calling the move “an important step forward.”

“Today’s reopening of I-95 in Philadelphia, just 12 days after a devastating collapse brought the city to a halt, is a triumph of all levels of government,” said Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Jr. “This was a true team effort, with everyone from the White House to the construction workers on the ground working around the clock to ensure the swiftest possible reconstruction process. From the Building Trades crews to the folks at Aero Aggregates in Delco supplying materials, this rebuild was only possible because of the hard work and ingenuity of Pennsylvanians.”

“The building trades folks are the real heroes here – they constructed this in a skillful and speedy way, and I am eternally grateful for their dedication,” said Carroll. “PennDOT and our team and the Buckley team will continue our efforts to construct the facility on either side of this structure in an effort to restore I-95 to its full capacity.”

Engineers have already begun designing and ordering materials for a new permanent bridge over Cottman Ave. PennDOT will continue to lead that work and will keep the public informed as it progresses.

“This road is being opened because it’s completed, it’s safely completed, and it’s ready for traffic,” Carroll said. “And I don’t think the people of Philadelphia want to wait one more minute to put a vehicle across 95.”

Appropriately, the first vehicle to cross the reopened portion of the highway was Engine 38 from the Philadelphia City Fire Department – the first on the accident scene that fateful Sunday morning. Atop the fire truck stood mascots of the city’s sports teams, including the Phillie Phanatic, Swoop and Gritty.

The temporary roadway will feature three 11-foot lanes in each direction and will be posted at a speed limit of 45 miles per hour. There will be no shoulders on the temporary roadway. Motorists are encouraged to drive safely along the temporary roadway, which will be an active work zone as work continues on the permanent bridge replacement.

“It’s only by the hard work of our local trades, facilitated by coordination with state, city and federal officials, that we’re able to get this major artery through our city re-opened so much earlier than anyone expected,” Philadelphia House Delegation Chair Morgan Cephas added. “Our city is in awe and gratitude of the speedy engineering and production of our Philadelphia building trades members and contractors.”