Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2023

Statement on the Reopening of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

June 23, 2023

When I visited Philadelphia on Saturday and met with local officials and union workers, I made clear: My administration would move heaven and earth to reopen I–95 as soon as possible.

Thanks to the grit and determination of operating engineers, laborers, cement finishers, carpenters, teamsters, and so many other proud union workers doing shifts around the clock, I–95 is reopening. And it's ahead of schedule.

I want to thank Governor Shapiro for his great work and leadership, as well as Senator Casey, Senator Fetterman, Congressman Boyle, Mayor Kenney, and my team including Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator Landrieu, Secretary Buttigieg, FHWA Administrator Bhatt and many others. This emergency repair is 100-percent federally funded, and all approvals were given as quick as possible. We also deployed officials from the U.S. to the crash site within hours to help fast-track the effort. We are proving that when we work together, there is nothing we cannot do.

I grew up in Claymont, Delaware, not far from the damaged stretch of I–95. I know how important it is to people's quality of life, the local economy, and the 150,000 vehicles that travel on it every day. That's why I'm so proud of the hard-working men and women onsite who put their heads down, stayed at it, and got I–95 reopened in record time.

This is an important step forward. We'll be here to provide whatever it takes to keep the permanent repairs on track.

Categories: Statements by the President : Interstate 95 reopening in Philadelphia, PA.

Names: Bhatt, Shailen P.; Boyle, Brendan F.; Buttigieg, Peter P.M.; Casey, Robert P., Jr.; Fetterman, John K.; Kenney, James F.; Landrieu, Mitchell J.; Shapiro, Joshua D.

Subjects: Federal Highway Administration; Infrastructure improvements; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Coordinator; Labor movement and organized labor; Pennsylvania, Governor; Pennsylvania, Interstate 95 reopening in Philadelphia; Secretary of Transportation.

DCPD Number: DCPD202300568.