PennDOT recognized for road project innovations; I-95 bridge repairs

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PennDOT received three regional America’s Transportation Awards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). 

PennDOT was recognized for its efforts during the Interstate 95 Cottman Avenue collapse in the category of Best Use of Technology & Innovation (small project), its innovative approach to mitigating congestion in the category of Operations Excellence (small project), and for traffic-signal and interchange upgrades in Washington County in the category of Safety (medium project).  

Gov. Josh Shapiro and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll reopened the I-95 to traffic 12 days after a fuel tanker truck carrying around 8,500 gallons of fuel crashed on the northbound Cottman Avenue off-ramp from I-95 in the Mayfair Section of Philadelphia. 

 PennDOT said the road was reopened so quickly, in part because of an innovative temporary mechanically stabilized wall system.  

This innovative approach used a relatively new material consisting of recycled foamed glass aggregate manufactured in Eddystone, PennDOT said. This was the first time it had been used in an emergency. The repair “filled the gap” and allowed for a rapid highway reconstruction before a more permanent repair could be made. 

PennDOT said the crash caused an explosion and intense fire and the structure carrying the northbound lanes of I-95 collapsed, along with the steel beams carrying the southbound lanes, which were damaged beyond repair. The crash closed the highway to 160,000 average daily vehicles. PennDOT said reopening similar highways in other states traditionally took several months to complete. 

“The I-95 collapse in Philadelphia was a test of the department’s ability to meet complex challenges with innovative solutions. We met that challenge,” Carroll said in a release. “I’m proud to accept this award on behalf of the dedicated PennDOT staff who work tirelessly in service of Pennsylvanians.” 

In 11 corridors around Pennsylvania, PennDOT said it has rolled out active traffic management systems to collect and use crash data to reduce additional crash risk by automatically detecting congestion and relocating traffic to unaffected lanes.  

The automated queue protection system reduced crashes in the targeted corridors by 183 including 96 rear-end crashes, 86 injury crashes and seven fatal crashes when compared to the previous year’s data, PennDOT said. 

“Road safety is the primary concern for the department,” said Carroll. “Our crews are utilizing cutting-edge transportation technology to reduce crashes and improve outcomes.” 

 In Washington County, PennDOT and local officials sought to reduce congestion on Route 18, a route heavily travelled by local users, commercial delivery services, and those accessing recreational areas, PennDOT said.  

The project was expanded to a redesign of the intersection at Route 844. The intersection was updated to include new crosswalks, coordinated traffic signals, pedestrian signal heads and push buttons, audible pedestrian signals and the consolidation of multiple driveway access points to alleviate additional turning movements to create safer access to properties, according to PennDOT.  

Following the NASTO regional competition, the “Top 12” nationwide finalists will be announced in early September, featuring the three highest-scoring projects from each region. Those top contenders will then compete for the two 2024 America’s Transportation Awards national prizes.