A significant disruption struck travelers as Interstate 95 experienced a closure due to a gas leak detected on Sunday, causing major traffic pileups from Northeast Philadelphia to Bucks County.
The incident, which unfolded just before 7 p.m., led to the deployment of PECO crews to the 800 block of Tennis Avenue in Bensalem after reports of a gas odor were filed, according to NBC Philadelphia, upon arrival crews found a 4-inch high-pressure natural gas main that appeared to have been intentionally cut, leading to an hours-long shutdown of one of the region's main arteries as precautionary measures were abruptly enforced, and the southbound lanes reopened at Woodhaven Road just before 10 p.m.
The Pennsylvania State Police informed that the stretch between Exit 35 (Woodhaven Road) in Bensalem and Exit 32 (Academy Road and Linden Avenue) in Northeast Philly was impacted, with drivers facing significant delays as a result, per information gleaned from a CBS News Philadelphia report.
After the concerted efforts of emergency response teams and PECO personnel, the I-95 corridor eventually reopened, lifting the gridlock that had gripped parts of the northbound and southbound lanes, the northbound lanes initially saw a stoppage at Academy Road but later cleared which allowed the regular flow of Easter Sunday traffic to resume, despite earlier warnings from the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management of potential prolonged delays, as reported by FOX 29 News.
As of now, there has been no official statement on potential suspects or motives behind the apparent intentional damage to the gas pipe, but investigations are ongoing, according to a PECO spokesperson. officials haven't called out any interruptions to regional gas service despite the severity of the main's damage.
