How the I-95 Bridge Reopened Just 12 Days After Fiery Collapse

The rapid repair of a key stretch of Interstate 95, two weeks after a fiery crash caused an overpass to collapse, prompted one newspaper in Germany — known for having some of the world’s best roadways — to call the feat “ein kleines Wunder.”

The fast feat was “a small miracle” in many respects. What made it possible: emergency, no-bid contracts, around-the-clock repair crews, a guarantee from the federal government to pick up the check, and no small amount of Rust Belt ingenuity.