Portion of I-95 collapses in Philadelphia after truck fire

June 11 (UPI) -- A portion of the major highway I-95 collapsed in Philadelphia on Sunday after a truck caught on fire, officials said.

The Philadelphia Fire Department said in a statement that firefighters responded to the scene near the Cottman Avenue exit in northeast Philadelphia around 6:30 a.m. and were able to get the blaze under control within an hour.

However, the roadway remains closed to traffic in both directions which could impact travel along the east coast. The interstate highway runs from Miami in Florida to the Canadian border in Maine and is the primary roadway connecting key cities including Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston.

"All lanes of I-95 closed in both directions between Woodhaven and Aramingo exits due to fire/road collapse. Other streets closed for the response," Philadelphia's Office of Emergency Management said in a statement. "Avoid area. Plan and seek alternative travel routes."

Travel is expected to be affected throughout the coming week. The City of Philadelphia has published detour routes and guidance on its website, urging commuters to prepare ahead of time.

"I-95 will be impacted for a long time, for a long time," said Tumar Alexander, city managing director, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Philadelphia Water Department tweeted that there is "no impact to drinking water quality" from the tanker truck crashing. Jim Garrow, spokesperson for Air Management Services, said there is not expected to be an impact to air quality either, due to the fire being extinguished quickly.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.