I-95 collapse: Hustle and bustle in Tacony with demolishing overpass to rebuild
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Crews are working to demolish the southbound overpass. It's a days-long process that's necessary before they can begin the rebuild.
There has been a lot of hustle and bustle in Tacony.
The twisted steel and concrete debris scattered all over where the overpass once stood. Crews have been working around the clock to clear it all out.
Using heavy machinery, crews are now working to demolish the southbound side of the I-95 overpass in Northeast Philly. Taking it apart piece by piece.
"We're working hard to get it done as quickly as we can," PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said.
The head of PennDOT Carroll says it's a painstaking process because the overpass is made up of hundreds of tons of steel and concrete.
"They're hammering off the concrete from the structure. That'll expose the metal I-beams," Carroll said. "There's a crane behind me that'll be used to lift the beams off the structure itself and that's how the bridge will be removed."
From above in Chopper 3, the structure now looks like a skeleton of a bridge.
Officials say the demolition is expected to take about four more days. Then comes the cleanup. After that, crews can finally start to rebuild the overpass that used to carry about 160,000 cars and trucks every day but is now mostly desolate and being reduced to rubble.
"The governor is focused on trying to reopen I-95, relieve the pressure on the local communities and commuters," Carroll said.
So many businesses in the direct vicinity of the overpass are growing worried about their bottom lines because customers have been avoiding the area and canceling appointments.
"It's a shame what happened but people still have to operate their businesses," Pro-Tech Industries Owner Joe Notarianni said.
Notarianni had four of five appointments canceled at his auto repair shop in Tacony Tuesday.
"They're avoiding the area," he said. "They don't want to be anywhere near the area."
His shop is located around the corner of the I-95 collapse where detours are forcing drivers away from the area.
"It's a shame," Notarianni said. "Everybody here is losing money. Very frustrating. Very aggravating."
So we took his complaints right to the head of PennDOT.
"I'm trying to work with the Philadelphia Police Department to make the detours a little bit more manageable," Carroll said.
Carrol also says crews are working 24 hours a day to get the project done as fast as possible.
First, they're demolishing the southbound side of the overpass. That's expected to take three to four more days. Then, rebuilding a new overpass that will take months.
So for now this will be Tacony's new normal.
"I'm not gonna hide the fact that there's an inconvenience for local business," Carroll said. "Obviously when the traffic from the interstate ends up on Center and Torresdale and the rest they're gonna be an impact. We're trying to minimize it."
Officials continue urging people to avoid this area if they can.
