Roosevelt Expressway Ramp to I-76 West in Philadelphia reopens after crash: PennDOT

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The U.S. 1 South (Roosevelt Expressway) ramp to westbound I-76 and City Avenue in Philadelphia has reopened after a truck struck the bridge causing the ramp to close on Tuesday.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said on Tuesday the bridge's structure was damaged after the collision that afternoon. All lanes and the ramp reopened around 7 p.m. Friday night.

Drivers were previously being directed to use eastbound I-76, Montgomery Avenue and westbound I-76 until the structure was fixed. PennDOT bridge engineers and its contractors worked to make necessary repairs to safely reopen the overhead ramp bridge to traffic.

PennDOT said more permanent repairs to the ramp structure are scheduled for a later time. 

PennDOT officials had previously said they believed this would not be a quick fix.

"There was some distortion to the girders, in addition to some tearing of the coat sections right near the connection point and some cracks," Harold Windisch, PennDOT Assistant District Executive of Construction, said Wednesday.

CBS News Philadelphia sat through traffic backed up on 76 Wednesday as PennDOT crews closed two lanes of the highway near City Ave. The ramp closure meant more time on the road for drivers who normally take this route.

"It's a bit of an inconvenience," Clifford Harling said. "Probably takes me five minutes out of my way, now that I think about it.

"Huge inconvenience," Charles Maddox of Maddox Roadside Rescue said.

Maddox runs a roadside assistance business covering the Tri-State Area. He said aside from rerouting his commute, the ramp closure would have a direct impact on his business.

"A huge impact on our business," he said. "Lot longer wait times, harder to get to people, lot longer routes."

PennDOT recommends drivers follow the allotted detour routes. The agency has up-to-date information available on 511pa.com.

In:
• Pennsylvania
• I-76
• Road Closures
• Traffic
• Philadelphia