The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration announced the allocation of $3 million in emergency relief funds to aid the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in addressing the collapse of a section of Interstate 95, a major transportation artery.

The collapse, caused by a gasoline tanker truck, disrupted the flow of approximately 160,000 vehicles per day, according to a June 15 news release. The funds are intended to help offset the costs of repair work and ensure the flow of essential traffic on this critical transportation route.

"Every day counts in this urgent reconstruction project, and the quick-release funding is an important step to help PennDOT rebuild the collapsed portion of I-95," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release.

The allocated funding will primarily be utilized for emergency operations and the establishment of detour routes, essential components in maintaining traffic movement during the extensive reconstruction process, the release said.

As previously reported by The Federal Newswire, investigations into the incident leading to the collapse revealed a gasoline tanker truck negotiating a curve triggered the catastrophic event. The ensuing fire caused the structural failure of the highway, necessitating immediate repairs.

Buttigieg affirmed the federal government's commitment to provide ongoing support to Pennsylvania, stating, "We will continue to use every federal resource we can to help Pennsylvania restore this key artery quickly and safely," according to the release.

According to a report on June 17, during a visit to the site, 

Governor Josh Shapiro met with President Joe Biden to discuss the progress of the I-95 reconstruction project, according to a June 17 release from Shapiro's office.

"I can state with confidence that we will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks," Governor Shapiro said in his release.

Biden, while on-site, assured the public of the federal government's commitment to providing substantial financial assistance, according to a June 17 White House release. 

"This is just a down payment, obviously. It's a lot more than that. You're going to be getting a lot more federal funding out the door in the coming weeks," Biden said in the White House release.

He noted the federal government will continue to assist with the reconstruction, the White House release reported.

"The federal government — I’ve committed we’re going to reimburse 100% of this phase of the work in well over the first 200 days. And then, after that, 90% of the work. We’ll be here until the end. We won’t leave until it’s finished," Biden added, according to the release.

The temporary fixture of some of the lanes was completed within 12 days of the accident. The roadway reopened to traffic noon June 23.