Roadway expected to reopen within two weeks
President Joe Biden is at his home near Rehoboth Beach after a helicopter flyover of the now-closed section of I-95 in Philadelphia with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Shapiro had good news for motorists, including long-distance Delaware commuters and vacationers.
“I can state with confidence that we will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks,” Shapiro said at the briefing with Biden at Philadelphia International Airport. “We are going to get traffic moving again thanks to the extraordinary work of those here and our incredible union trade workers.”
After the tour, Shapiro and members of his cabinet briefed Biden on the initial response, the reconstruction plan, and coordination among levels of government.
Biden also offered remarks about the administration’s involvement in the roadway collapse that made national news.
Truckloads of foamed glass aggregate fill from AeroAggregates in Delaware County, PA, will be used in building a temporary roadway as construction crews gear up for a permanent replacement project.
The section collapsed on Sunday after a tanker truck overturned with temperature from the fire leading to the collapse and one section and the weakening of the other lanes.
On Saturday, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also attended a union rally in Philadelphia. Biden received a re-election endorsement from the AFL-CIO earlier this week.
The Bidens flew to Dover Air Force Base from Philadelphia International Airport. He will then be helicoptered to a landing pad at a nearby state park and then driven to his residence near Rehoboth Beach, where he is expected to spend Father’s Day with his family.
No public events were scheduled. Airspace restrictions will remain in the Rehoboth-Ocean City into Monday.
Biden’s visits provide a boost to the Rehoboth economy before the peak tourist period, with media, security and aides taking hotel rooms.
In other news, on Friday, the president ended a speech on gun control with “God Save the Queen, man.” A White House press official said the strange remark was a comment to a member of the audience.
