PHILADELPHIA – Construction will begin Thursday, March 27, to replace the damaged 15-foot high, steel-reinforced column under I-95 near the Richmond Street underpass in the city’s Port Richmond section.
Crews will work under I-95 during the next six weeks to remove the cracked center column and replace it with a new steel-reinforced concrete support. This work will not disrupt traffic flow on I-95.
During the operation, the center portion of I-95 in this area is temporarily supported by four steel support towers and steel beams, which will be removed once the new column is built.
PennDOT estimates the cost to replace the concrete column and build the temporary support towers to be $650,000.
A three-mile long section of I-95 was shut down to traffic for three days after the discovery of a large crack in the column that supports the center portion of I-95 near Richmond Street.
-- JOHN M. ROMAN