PennDOT: Water from construction area froze on Roosevelt Blvd.; 15-20 vehicles collide
Traffic was jammed on the Boulevard and surrounding streets for hours.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Slick conditions are being blamed for a crash involving 15 to 20 vehicles on the Roosevelt Boulevard early Tuesday morning.
It happened around 5 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Roosevelt Boulevard Extension between Broad and Fox streets near East Falls.
Traffic was jammed on the Boulevard and surrounding streets for hours.
"It's horrible. I've been stuck out here for 45 minutes," Charles Stubbs of Northeast Philadelphia told Action News while being stuck in a long line of cars.
Driver Danielle Davenport added, "It's really, really bad. Old York Road. Broad Street. Everything is just blocked off."
Officials say South State, the New Jersey contractor hired to make repairs on the bridge that carries traffic over Wayne Junction, had poured new concrete. The water being used to cure the concrete managed to seep through a barricade.
The tilt of the roadway allowed the water to cover multiple lanes, and froze.
According to officials, the contractor was supposed to monitor temperatures and road conditions, and it is up to their discretion if a salt truck is needed.
PennDOT later dispatched their own salt trucks to salt the road before it reopened.
The contractor says they will use foam to seal any cracks around the barriers to prevent further damage and monitor the situation.
All southbound lanes were closed so the cars could be moved.
No injuries were reported.
