Duffy: There is a Long Island lesson in Philly

Until the collapse of a bridge on I-95 outside of Philadelphia this summer, with the exception of the Liberty Bell and Philly cheesesteak, there have been few reasons to think twice about that city.

But for a nation that has long ignored its infrastructure, the ability of government and local construction teams to work in partnership to fix that strategic highway in just 12 days sends a message across the country. When confronted by a crisis, our nation still has the will, skill, and work ethic to get things done.  Sadly, it shouldn’t take a crisis to fix our infrastructure.

A lengthy analysis will no doubt be conducted to determine the cause of the Philadelphia bridge collapse, but it was clear at the outset that the initial projection of taking “months” to reopen I-95 was going to create havoc along the northeast corridor.  If the traditional bureaucracy that requires multiple reviews, paperwork, impact reports, deliberative hearings, and set-asides was going to be applied to get the repair done, I-95 in Philly would remain closed until Christmas. Or longer.

It is instructive for all of us to see how and who responded to the I-95 bridge collapse and what lessons can be applied here on Long Island across New York State.

Media coverage revealed that Michael Carroll, Pennsylvania’s transportation secretary, essentially moved into a trailer that was positioned adjacent to the collapse. This enabled him to make decisions immediately and round the clock.  As one observer noted, “No one had to check with headquarters to keep the project moving; the construction site was headquarters.”

Another lesson from the Philly collapse was that reconstruction project managers were given the authority to make decisions, of which they had to take ownership. Delay and indecision were not options.

There was also impressive coordination among the various disciplines required to clear away the wreckage, while not destroying evidence for determining the reason for the bridge failure, position and coordinate marshalling areas for equipment, placing bridge replacement elements, support services for the construction teams and more. Think of it as a choreographed dance with steel, concrete, machines, and organized labor.

Behind the scenes, we are told that local, state, and federal officials worked closely, ignoring the traditional and often rigid jurisdictional “pillars” that can slow collaborative work. The 12 days of repair required close coordination with contracting companies and the expertise of their unionized workforce, further revealing what labor and management can do to unleash construction union expertise under the most difficult of conditions.

Even those outside the arena of public works brought what they could to the table. In a scene out of Hollywood movie, when rain threatened to slow down I-95 repairs, the people at Pocono Raceway sent their NASCAR turbo dryer to the work site. At a time when every day counted, it was one more extraordinary response to an extraordinary crisis.

The lessons are many from the I-95 collapse. Insight ranges from how projects can move forward quickly, safely, and professionally when experts are allowed the freedom to implement solutions to the proven work ethic of the construction trades to the need to reconsider the permitting processes that currently harm the ability of America to efficiently rebuild its infrastructure.

One suspects there will be other infrastructure emergencies that galvanize government to enact the “Philly solution” but that should be the exception not the rule.  The real legacy of the I-95 collapse is the realization that with a nation facing aging roads, bridges, and sewer systems we have an obligation to reinvent the means and methods by which we are rebuilding America.

John Duffy is treasurer and business manager of Local 138, International Union of Operating Engineers, based in Farmingdale.

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