PHILADELPHIA (NewsNation) — Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg addressed the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia on Monday morning at an Engineering Conference, calling the collapse a “cruel reminder” of the importance of infrastructure.
Buttigieg pledged full federal support to the city to rebuild the section of the interstate where it had collapsed.
“The entire region affected by this will have the full support of the United States Department of Transportation on this for as long as it takes to get that restored to normal and I appreciate in advance all of the hard work that’s going to go into responding to the impacts of that,” he said.
It is unknown how long it will take to rebuild the section, but city officials said it could take months to complete the construction.
In a press conference, city leaders declined to comment on the identity of the driver or the name of the trucking company. They did confirm the accident occurred when a tanker truck carrying gasoline lost control navigating a curve on an exit, catching fire and compromising the structural integrity of the bridge. State police did say they were viewing the case as a crash investigation rather than a criminal one.
Officials also confirmed demolition on the bridge would begin on Monday, though designs to replace it and re-route traffic during the process were not finished.
State police confirmed a body was recovered from the wreckage, but it has not yet been identified. State Police Communications Director Myles Snyder said the remains have been turned over to the medical examiner.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an emergency declaration on Monday, freeing up funds to help with the collapse cleanup. The declaration immediately made $7 million of state funds available for reconstruction.
The northbound I-95 lanes partially collapsed early Sunday morning after a tanker truck crashed and caught fire under the highway. The southbound I-95 lanes were “compromised” due to heat from the fire. Both are expected to remain closed until a new structure is complete.
Members of the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) will conduct an investigation to determine why the tanker truck caught fire.
This screen grab from video provided by WPVI-TV/6ABC shows the collapsed section of I-95 with fire trucks on the scene in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP) 
Firefighters work at a collapsed portion of Interstate 95, caused by a large vehicle fire, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 2023. A fire caused part of a busy US highway overpass to collapse in Philadelphia early Sunday, authorities said, as reports attributed the accident to an oil tanker that burst into flames under the bridge. The collapse took out four traffic lanes along an elevated section of the heavily traveled motorway, though no injuries were immediately reported. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images) 
This image provided by the Philadelphia Fire Department shows officials working on the scene following a collapse on I-95 after a truck fire, Sunday, June 11, 2023, in Philadelphia. The elevated section of Interstate 95 has collapsed early Sunday after a vehicle caught fire, closing the main north-south highway on the East Coast and threatening to upend travel in parts of the densely populated Northeast. (Philadelphia Fire Department via AP) 
This screen grab from video provided by WPVI-TV/6ABC shows the collapsed section of I-95 with fire trucks on the scene in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP) 
This screen grab from video provided by WPVI-TV/6ABC shows fire and smoke near the collapsed section of I-95 in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP) 
Officials work on the scene following a collapse on I-95 after a truck fire, Sunday, June 11, 2023 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti) 
A retroexcavator removes parts of a collapsed portion of Interstate 95, caused by a large vehicle fire, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 2023. A fire caused part of a busy US highway overpass to collapse in Philadelphia early Sunday, authorities said, as reports attributed the accident to an oil tanker that burst into flames under the bridge. The collapse took out four traffic lanes along an elevated section of the heavily traveled motorway, though no injuries were immediately reported. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)