ASHE Names I-95 Emergency Repairs National Project of the Year

PHILADELPHIA, PA—The American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) has named the I-95 Bridge Collapse Emergency Repairs Project the 2024 National Project of the Year in the Under $30 Million category. The award recognizes the swift, collaborative efforts that led to the reopening of I-95 in just 12 days—much faster than anticipated.

On June 11, 2023, a tanker truck carrying gasoline overturned on the Cottman Avenue off-ramp in Philadelphia, resulting in the death of the driver and triggering an intense fire that caused the northbound I-95 bridge to collapse and left the southbound bridge compromised beyond repair. The sudden closure of this vital East Coast corridor, which carries 160,000 vehicles daily, demanded a rapid, innovative solution.

As the prime consultant for the original bridge design, Benesch quickly mobilized with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and contractor Buckley to develop and execute an emergency solution. The team designed a temporary roadway using a welded wire retaining wall system with geogrid supports filled with ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregate. Once the system was built to the roadway level, precast barriers and asphalt were installed, restoring three lanes of traffic in each direction within two weeks.

The success of the project was the result of strong communication and coordination among PennDOT, Benesch, Buckley, utility providers, local suppliers and the public. Benesch also led design services for the permanent bridge replacement, which fully reopened I-95 to four lanes and two shoulders in each direction less than a year after the accident.

Members of the project team accepted the award at the ASHE 2025 National Conference on June 7 in Pocono Manor, PA.