Amelia Harris, Ph.D., P.E., Technical Manager, Benesch

Featured Presentation: I-95 Bridge Collapse in Philadelphia: Accelerated Restoration of Traffic & Bridge Replacement

Documents:
Presentation PDF: I-95 Presentation - IBT-ABC-UTC Webinar
Intro & News PDF: April 2025 Intro & News

Description:
In June 2023, a fiery truck crash caused the collapse of the northbound I-95 bridge over Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia, PA, leading to the demolition of the compromised southbound structure and the closure of a vital corridor that serves 160,000 vehicles daily. Benesch, as the prime consultant on the original bridge design, collaborated with PennDOT and Buckley to swiftly restore traffic. Within 12 days, a temporary roadway was designed and opened, utilizing Gravix barriers and ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregate fill. The permanent bridge replacement, featuring two single-span skewed steel bridges, was completed in two phases, with the first stage finished five months post-incident and the second by May 2024. The project involved meticulous staging to minimize construction phases, accommodating three 11-foot lanes with a 45-mph speed limit. Public transparency was maintained through regular updates, detour routes, and a 24/7 livestream, ensuring community engagement and support. This emergency project highlights the importance of rapid response and innovative solutions in infrastructure recovery.

Presenter:

 

Amelia Harris, Ph.D., P.E.
Technical Manager
Benesch

Amelia Harris is a Technical Manager in Benesch’s Pittsburgh, PA office, specializing in complex bridge design with 16 years of experience. Her expertise spans from small culverts to major interstate river crossings, including bridge demolition and erection plans. Amelia is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and Illinois. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Science and PhD from Carnegie Mellon University. She is an active member of WTS, ABCD Pittsburgh, and ASCE, and serves as the vice president of the WTS Pittsburgh chapter.

Presentation Photos/Graphics:

1) Figure 1 – Collapsed Bridge – June 11, 2023

2) Figure 2 – Completed temporary roadway, ready to open to traffic – June 23, 2023

3) Figure 3 – Beam erection for the second bridge phase while traffic flows on the completed first phase of the permanent replacement bridge – March 5, 2024

4) Figure 4 – Permanent replacement bridge complete – May 24, 2024