Video From Car Crossing I-95 Bridge Shortly Before It Collapsed Goes Viral

The moment a motorist drove over the I-95 bridge in Philadelphia moments before it collapsed has been captured in a TikTok video, garnering millions of views.

At around 6:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to local officials, a portion of the Interstate-95 highway collapsed in northeast Philadelphia, causing major disruption.

The clip of the moment, posted by user barb_wire, has so far been viewed over 4.2 million times on TikTok. Copies of the video are also spreading on Twitter.

In the video, a massive cloud of black smoke can be seen as the car's occupants discuss where the fire is in relation to the bridge.

Other cars in front of the vehicle can be seen slowing down and switching lanes, seemingly also assessing where the blaze is.

At one point, a 20-wheeler truck is seen racing past the slowed cars. As it does so the bridge can be seen dipping slightly.

The occupants in the car then begin to speed up as the blazing fire begins to engulf the bridge.

The fire and eventual collapse of the bridge was reportedly caused by a truck, on the road beneath, that caught fire at a point between the exits for Woodhaven and Aramingo. The truck that caught fire is believed to have been a tanker carrying around 8,500 gallons of fuel.

The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the fire and collapse and the roadway has been closed off indefinitely.

A Drexel University engineer spoke to the Philadelphia Inquirer and reflected on the bridge's collapse.

After looking at images from the scene, Amir Farnam, an associate professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, said that there is no concrete surrounding the girders, meaning "they are very susceptible to any sort of high temperatures."

While the collapse happened on the northbound lane, the southbound lane, which did not collapse, was structurally compromised by the fire.

The complete rebuilding of the I-95 roadway is expected to "take a number of months," according to a press release by the Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

"Interstate 95 is a critical artery that supports our economy and plays an important role in Pennsylvanians' day to day lives," Shapiro said.

"My Administration is all hands on deck to repair this safely and as efficiently as possible. We will rebuild and recover – and in the meantime, we will make sure people can get to where they need to go safely."

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Padfield also spoke about the expected delays that this collapse will cause over the coming months.

"This incident will cause significant disruption, not only to residents and businesses in the area, but also to commerce and travelers along the East Coast," he said.

"We will work closely with our federal, state and Philadelphia partners to provide the necessary support and resources to make repairs as quickly as possible."

Newsweek has contacted Josh Shapiro via his official website for comment.