Safety of residents and motorists remained their primary concern. Even as the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro, and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, assured their full support, locals experienced the fallout first hand.
“It smells like burning plastic mixed with, like, if you’re standing right behind a car and it’s blowing fumes in your face,” shared Tacony resident, Sierra Jones.
Immediate Impact and Lingering Consequences
The immediate impact of the incident was the closure of all lanes on I-95 in both directions between Exit 25 for Allegheny Avenue/Castor Avenue and Exit 32 for Academy Road/Linden Avenue, which extended further to between the exits for Woodhaven Road in Northeast Philadelphia and Aramingo Avenue in the Port Richmond section.
But the repercussions of the calamity will persist for much longer. “Today’s going to be a long day. Obviously, with 95 northbound gone and southbound questionable, it’s going to be even longer,” remarked Dominick Mireles, the director of the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.
