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The collapse of an elevated section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia on Sunday that has resulted in the closure of a stretch of the highway has sparked concerns about the effect on supply chains.
Several lanes of I-95, a key highway that stretches from Miami to Maine, collapsed after a tanker truck caught fire underneath the overpass. A body was recovered from the wreckage on Monday.
Officials have warned that it could take months to fix the segment of highway, which normally carries some 160,000 vehicles per day.
Late Monday, a spokesperson for FedEx Corp.
FDX,
told MarketWatch that the effect on the company’s operations has been minimal. “FedEx is well versed at implementing operational contingencies to navigate around road closures, traffic incidents, weather systems and the like,” the spokesperson said. “We are closely monitoring the situation on I-95 and are making adjustments accordingly.”
Related: I-95 collapse may snarl traffic for months. But a media legend was born.
A spokesperson for United Parcel Service
UPS,
had a similar response. “We are using alternate routes around the closed section of I-95 and are doing everything possible to keep shipments moving normally,” the spokesperson told MarketWatch.
A spokesperson for the American Trucking Association told local ABC affiliate WPVI that approximately 8% to 9% of the vehicles that pass through that section of I-95 are commercial trucks.
A detour of more than 40 miles is mostly on non-interstate highway with more than 60 traffic lights, according to the ATA spokesperson. “This will add significant cost in time, fuel and delays, so we urge state and federal agencies to target appropriate resources to repairing and replacing this highway as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson told WPVI.
Related: I-95 overpass collapses in Philadelphia after tanker truck catches fire
MarketWatch has reached out to the ATA with a request for comment.
Steve Goldstein contributed.
