How a collapsed section of I-95 reopened in just 12 days

A combination of NASCAR equipment, recycled glass and police escorts helped reopen the repaired portion of I-95 in Philadelphia way ahead of schedule.

Six lanes reopened to motorists at noon on Friday, 12 days after a bridge collapsed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced.

The collapsed section was a headache to commuters, causing major congestion in traffic. The primary detour was about 23 miles using state or interstate roads, local transportation officials previously said.

Three new lanes opened in both directions of the interstate, the governor's office said. The temporary lanes will work to relieve commuters while work continues to rebuild the outer sections of the interstate's permanent bridge, the transportation department said.

The affected part of the highway typically carries about 160,000 vehicles through Philadelphia daily.

The remarkable speed of the repair was the result of an emergency declaration signed by Pennsylvania's governor, giving the ability to "replace the bridge in the speediest session possible", Pennsylvania Department of Transportation secretary Mike Carroll said. Workers were able to deploy equipment and forces to begin demolition the day of the fire. Asphalt and other special materials needed for the repair were delivered with police escorts.

However, rain in the forecast late this week threatened the reopening. There was an unlikely solution: On Thursday, Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania sent its Track Jet Dryer propped on a red Chevy truck. The high-powered jet engines are used to dry NASCAR tracks, or in this case, a segment of a critical national interstate.