I-95 in Philadelphia suffers major damage.

Nittany.Lion

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They've been paving for about 18 hours nonstop now and I saw three layers/lifts completed as of late last evening/early morning. I've never seen more than three layers/lifts of asphalt on a roadway, I wonder how thick and how many layers they will place by the time they're done.
 

step.eng69

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They've been paving for about 18 hours nonstop now and I saw three layers/lifts completed as of late last evening/early morning. I've never seen more than three layers/lifts of asphalt on a roadway, I wonder how thick and how many layers they will place by the time they're done.
Been at the NY/NJ Virtual Steel Bridge Workshop all day for PDH credits, @ -4.49 in the video, looks like the inspector is doing nuke testing for density on the right lane

BCBC (bituminous concrete base course), BINDER COURSE, WEARING SURFACE COURSE?? 🤷‍♂️
I'm not a bituminous type of guy
 
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Tom McAndrew

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Hmm, lots of equipment and employees departing. I'm not sure if it's a shift change, or the end of paving. It does appear that a line painting machine has been moved onto the scene, so perhaps the paving is completed.
 
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step.eng69

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I believe a PennDot engineer indicated that the northbound support, which the tanker truck slammed into, will need substantial repairs.
Structural concrete strength becomes compromised at around 700 degrees F, steel totally fails @ 1,000+/- degrees.
I suppose the abutment will require extensive repair or possible total replacement.
 
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Nittany.Lion

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Hmm, lots of equipment and employees departing. I'm not sure if it's a shift change, or the end of paving. It does appear that a line painting machine has been moved onto the scene, so perhaps the paving is completed.
Paving is done, the temperature will need to cool down to an acceptable level to allow tire traffic and to paint.
 
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Nittany.Lion

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I-95 will reopen at noon on Friday... Amazing job well done. We all like to joke about the guys standing around but this was really an amazing job done by all involved.
Just checked the live cam and the site has cleared and cleaned out nicely, it looks like everything is done except for some lane barriers and the lane striping.
 
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Tom McAndrew

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they really have cleaned up the site. I saw mention on the news that they still have to erect signage. The line painting truck just rolled onto the southbound lanes, but then drove away (I think they're re-painting the lines on the older part of the highway that will be used once the 3 lanes in each direction temporary fix is opened). Supposedly, the speed limit will be 45 mph through the 3 lanes (good luck with that).
 
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TiogaLion

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they really have cleaned up the site. I saw mention on the news that they still have to erect signage. The line painting truck just rolled onto the southbound lanes, but then drove away (I think they're re-painting the lines on the older part of the highway that will be used once the 3 lanes in each direction temporary fix is opened). Supposedly, the speed limit will be 45 min through the 3 lanes (good luck with that).
I hope you meant max, not min?
 
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NoSoup4U

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why does it look like only 2 lanes each way? that stretch of 95 was only 3-4 lanes wide to begin with as you can see the width isnt totally covered/fixed on each side to its end points

and current southbound striping looks like a white line down the center indicating 2 lane widths

or am I drinking too much today?
 

step.eng69

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Hmm, lots of equipment and employees departing. I'm not sure if it's a shift change, or the end of paving. It does appear that a line painting machine has been moved onto the scene, so perhaps the paving is completed.

I'm 74 yrs old, in tune with engineering practice's but have no clue what you posted with the Philly Inquirer.... don't do the twitch
 

step.eng69

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why does it look like only 2 lanes each way? that stretch of 95 was only 3-4 lanes wide to begin with as you can see the width isnt totally covered/fixed on each side to its end points

and current southbound striping looks like a white line down the center indicating 2 lane widths

or am I drinking too much today?
Imbibing can lead to double vision, 4-lanes each way.
🙃
 

Tom McAndrew

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why does it look like only 2 lanes each way? that stretch of 95 was only 3-4 lanes wide to begin with as you can see the width isnt totally covered/fixed on each side to its end points

and current southbound striping looks like a white line down the center indicating 2 lane widths

or am I drinking too much today?

It's 3 lanes in both directions, with no shoulders on either side (on the temporary fix, as well as a short distance in advance and after the temporary fix).

If you are viewing the PennDot feed, you're looking from the outside of the northbound lanes. As this point, the only line is a single one on the southbound lanes. Between the angle from which the feed is shown, and the barriers between the northbound and the southbound lanes, the single line gives the appearance of being near the middle of the southbound lanes, but it's the far right lane of the southbound lanes, and there will be 2 more lanes in that direction.
 
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Tom McAndrew

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It looks as though the painting of the lines for the lanes has been completed. Every time I go away from the feed for a few hours, I'm amazed at what has been completed while I was away.

I guess some signage remains to be installed (though it may have been; not sure if the new signage is planned for anywhere in the view of the feed). There seems to be some activity on the southbound lanes approaching the temporary fix, though it's unclear if that's work being completed, or where some of the trucks are parked. The trucks are too far from the camera for me to see what's happening around them.
 
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Nittany.Lion

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they really have cleaned up the site. I saw mention on the news that they still have to erect signage. The line painting truck just rolled onto the southbound lanes, but then drove away (I think they're re-painting the lines on the older part of the highway that will be used once the 3 lanes in each direction temporary fix is opened). Supposedly, the speed limit will be 45 mph through the 3 lanes (good luck with that).

Those lanes are really narrow and have no shoulders, drivers will naturally slow down. I'll bet you a dollar that traffic in that area will rarely get close to 45mph during busier times, and definitely bumper to bumper during rush hours. I have a very similar situation near me (bridge rework with narrow lanes, no shoulders, losing one lane out of three) and the traffic is really bad for several hours a day, bumper to bumper, where traffic flow was normally over the speed limit.
 

NoSoup4U

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It's 3 lanes in both directions, with no shoulders on either side (on the temporary fix, as well as a short distance in advance and after the temporary fix).

If you are viewing the PennDot feed, you're looking from the outside of the northbound lanes. As this point, the only line is a single one on the southbound lanes. Between the angle from which the feed is shown, and the barriers between the northbound and the southbound lanes, the single line gives the appearance of being near the middle of the southbound lanes, but it's the far right lane of the southbound lanes, and there will be 2 more lanes in that direction.
yes it does .... for sure those suckers will certainly be narrow
 
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Bwifan

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Well won't be long now... seeing cameras setting up with people in suits walking around so they all can get their 30 seconds of talking done in front of the cameras before declaring the road is open.
 

Tom McAndrew

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Well won't be long now... seeing cameras setting up with people in suits walking around so they all can get their 30 seconds of talking done in front of the cameras before declaring the road is open.

Yeah, seems as though it's all ready to open ... just waiting for some speeches. It's unfortunate for those speaking, or those filming them (and any others involved) that it's raining.
 

Tom McAndrew

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Those lanes are really narrow and have no shoulders, drivers will naturally slow down. I'll bet you a dollar that traffic in that area will rarely get close to 45mph during busier times, and definitely bumper to bumper during rush hours. I have a very similar situation near me (bridge rework with narrow lanes, no shoulders, losing one lane out of three) and the traffic is really bad for several hours a day, bumper to bumper, where traffic flow was normally over the speed limit.

Yeah, the lack of shoulders will cause some reduction in speed during rush hour. But in time I suspect they'll get used to it, and speed through that zone as well.

It will actually be worse (I think) once the permanent replacement lanes on the outside are completed. At that point they'll close the 6 (3 each way) lanes over the temporary fix, and have 2 lanes in each direction on the outer portion, and then remove the fill and temporary fix, and install permanent replaces lanes in the center.
 
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step.eng69

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That's what happens when you use skilled trade labor. Right @step.eng69 ?
You're picking on me.....
You know I am a member of both AFL-CIO Brotherhood of Carpenters & 542 Operating Engineers Locals in Philadelphia. Now how did that happen being a registered professional engineer in three states.
🤔
 
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You're picking on me.....
You know I am a member of both AFL-CIO Brotherhood of Carpenters & 542 Operating Engineers Locals in Philadelphia. Know how did that happen being a registered professional engineer in three states.
🤔
And I thought that you were a bricklayer. Hmm. We want more stories about your Alaskan expedition. :)
 

PSUJam

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You're picking on me.....
You know I am a member of both AFL-CIO Brotherhood of Carpenters & 542 Operating Engineers Locals in Philadelphia. Now how did that happen being a registered professional engineer in three states.
🤔
I'm not picking Step. You know I'm a proud trade union member, although I'm only working on the fringes of that now. If it we're up here in NEPA they'd hand Leeward that job. Take a ride up the Casey Highway one of these days and let me know how those scabs got away with those concrete repairs. I think that job went for $30mm.
 
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Tom McAndrew

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It appears that they've opened the 3 lanes going northbound. Interestingly, folks in the left lane don't seem too happy, as many of them seem be over the line into the middle lane when there is no traffic next to them. I guess some folks are not comfortable with a barrier on their left and no shoulder.

Traffic is not yet using the southbound lanes.
 
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Nittany.Lion

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Light traffic moving through now in one direction. Drivers treating the lane lines as a suggestion... lol
 

TheBigUglies

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Been at the NY/NJ Virtual Steel Bridge Workshop all day for PDH credits, @ -4.49 in the video, looks like the inspector is doing nuke testing for density on the right lane

BCBC (bituminous concrete base course), BINDER COURSE, WEARING SURFACE COURSE?? 🤷‍♂️
I'm not a bituminous type of guy
It looked like they poured concrete under the 3 layers of asphalt too but I haven't been paying super close attention.
 
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NoSoup4U

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So for the xperts how much more time would it have taken to just add 4 feet on each side of the highway to allow for proper lane width and a small shoulders?

look no small feat for sure and commend all involved just curious as why plans wouldnt have built in the "space" in the first place
 

NittPicker

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It appears that they've opened the 3 lanes going northbound. Interestingly, folks in the left lane don't seem to happy, as many of them seem be over the line into the middle lane when there is no traffic next to them. I guess some folks are not comfortable with a barrier on their left and no shoulder.

Traffic is not yet using the southbound lanes.
I may be mistaken but it seems the opposite is true regarding which direction is open. The camera view is southwest with the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge in the background.
 
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Nittany.Lion

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So for the xperts how much more time would it have taken to just add 4 feet on each side of the highway to allow for proper lane width and a small shoulders?

look no small feat for sure and commend all involved just curious as why plans wouldnt have built in the "space" in the first place
It would have been pretty easy to do that, but then you would not have enough room for 3 lanes in the next phase of the rebuild (permanent bridge rebuild).
 
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