This jet dryer from Pocono Raceway in Monroe County was loaned to state officials to help dry the pavement on I-95 in Philadelphia so new lines could be painted as work to reopen the damaged interstate continues, state Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said.
Photo courtesy of Pocono Raceway
With rain in the forecast, equipment will help get road re-opened ahead of schedule
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A damaged section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia will reopen to traffic ahead of schedule on Friday, state Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll told the Times Leader, and a piece of equipment from Pocono Raceway was one of the many components involved in making that possible.
A jet dryer from the racetrack in Monroe County was loaned to state officials to help dry the pavement so new lines could be painted, said Carroll, who was familiar with its use at the track and suggested the idea.
“This is emblematic of the governor’s approach to this project and how seriously we’re taking getting this done,” Carroll said. “Our approach is an engineered solution that is smart and safe and will get people back on the roadway.”
According to a Philadelphia Inquirer story published Thursday evening, the temporary lanes for the damaged section of Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia will reopen noon Friday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced.
‘We have worked around the clock’
Gov. Josh Shapiro has said the reopening of I-95 is dependent on weather conditions and how quickly the asphalt can cure — a key consideration with heavy rain expected over the weekend.
On Tuesday Shapiro and Carroll announced that I-95 would be reopened this weekend, ahead of the originally projected two-week timeline. That effort now appears to be a day ahead of schedule.
“We have worked around the clock to get this done, and we’ve completed each phase safely and ahead of schedule. That’s all due to the incredible coordination with our local, state, and federal partners — and thanks to the hard-working men and women of the Philadelphia Building Trades who are making this happen,” Shapiro said Thursday.
“Every day that I-95 is closed is a nightmare,” Carroll added.
Pocono Raceway’s role
Carroll made a call on Wednesday afternoon to Pocono Raceway and operators from Pocono Raceway are prepared to stay at the site as long as they are needed, according to Ricky Durst, senior director of marketing at the Monroe County racetrack.
The raceway’s team is equipped with their giant jet dryer, which consists of a Chevy Silverado with a helicopter turbine retrofitted into the truck bed.
According to PennDOT, paving on the six-lane segment reconnecting I-95 happened overnight on Wednesday. And Thursday morning, after a Pennsylvania State Police escort down to the construction site, the jet dryer began the work of keeping the newly laid asphalt dry so construction crews can paint the lines on top of it, Durst said.
Carroll said he had a previous relationship with the raceway, which is located in the mountains in Long Pond. Pocono Raceway is known in NASCAR circles as the “Tricky Triangle.”
“We’ve known Mr. Carroll for a number of years, he was a state representative here in Northeast Pennsylvania,” Durst said. “He knew the raceway well, knew that we often had to deal with weather circumstances during our events, and knows that we have the ability and the tools to dry asphalt.”
Considered to be a standard piece of equipment for a track, the jet dryer is used to rid NASCAR raceways of any wet surfaces. The track will also bring its Chevy Camaro pace car, which is typically used to guide drivers and control the speed during races.
Raceway president Ben May said he isn’t charging the state for use of the dryer.
“Absolutely not,” May told the Associated Press on Thursday, calling it “a very, very, very small contribution to the spectacular work that’s being done by a lot of people.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.