Early Tuesday morning, commuters in Southwest Philadelphia faced significant delays as a car fire on the northbound side of the Platt Bridge led to closures in both directions. Smoke billowed from the blaze, which was reported just before 7 a.m., severely impacting traffic flow between Delaware County and Philadelphia. Sources indicate firefighters arrived on the scene to tackle the engulfed vehicle that brought rush hour to a standstill.
According to FOX 29's Bob Kelly, travelers typically crossing the Platt Bridge were advised to take alternative routes such as the Girard Point Bridge to circumvent the gridlock. Just as the extensive backups started allowing traffic to trickle by, there was no clarity on how the fire started or on the possibility of any injuries sustained.
The incident caused more than just a bottleneck, with the PennDOT traffic camera capturing the early moments of the fire around 6:30 a.m. The eastbound lanes were particularly hit, with all lanes shuttered at one point, leading to significant traffic issues during the morning commute. By mid-morning, efforts to clear the scene had progressed, and only the eastbound left lane remained closed.
With the car's charred remains being a stark reminder of the morning's chaos, traffic reporter Matt Pellman, in a statement obtained by the news outlet, suggested using the I-95 Girard Point Bridge for those heading toward Philadelphia International Airport to avoid further delays. Meanwhile, Total Traffic cameras showed the vehicle in flames, dieing out before crews put out the last of the flames around 7:15 a.m., as captured by Chopper 3.
