Revitalizing Philadelphia Infrastructure Is A Labor Of Brotherly Love

When a section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia collapsed and burst into flames on June 11, Buckley & Co. President and Chairman of the Board Robert Buckley got straight to work. 

Buckley gathered 100 people from different trades, including a team of carpenters, laborers and equipment operators, to work on the repair. Their diligent work meant they were able to get the section rebuilt and open to the public again in 12 days. 

“We were out there 24 hours a day, and we never stopped for coffee breaks, lunches or rain,” Buckley said. “Everyone knew what they had to do and knew the urgency of the situation. I was lucky enough to be the quarterback on this team, working with everyone to make the repair successful.”

At the request of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, the entire project was livestreamed, a move that turned out to be positive exposure for the construction crew. It helped people learn about and become interested in the construction industry and the different trades open to workers in the Philadelphia area.

“It sensationalized our work and got younger people more interested in our projects,” Buckley said. “If people are interested, they can see that they can have a decent career, create a lifestyle they can afford and be proud of what they accomplished. Hopefully, we made everyone proud of what we accomplished as well.”

The key to success on this project was to return to “old-school values,” sealing a project deal with a handshake and a verbal agreement rather than holding up the process with a sea of paperwork, he said. 

Buckley, a third-generation president of Buckley & Co. and a native of the region, is no stranger to working in Philadelphia. Despite working on projects in New York, New Jersey, California and on Florida's Epcot Center with Buckley & Co., he said that it is great to work on hometown projects again.

One such project is a highway cap above I-95 between Chestnut and Walnut streets in Philadelphia, which got the green light in February 2023 from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

According to PennDOT, the $328.9M process known as the Central Access Philadelphia project involves tearing down the old cap and building a new one that stretches over Columbus Boulevard, increasing accessibility from Center City to the Delaware River Waterfront. The cap will also serve as the foundation for an 11.5-acre park at Penn’s Landing as well as a bridge on South Street. 

Penn’s Landing is familiar territory to Buckley. He worked on the construction of the original Penn’s Landing in 1975 when he started out as a laborer.

“We’ve wanted and needed this type of project in Philadelphia for a long time, and it’s finally come to fruition,” Buckley said. “This is the seed for a much bigger project that will eventually attract people to Philadelphia.”

After the highway cap is complete, construction on Penn’s Landing will be a team effort involving the work of a variety of union trades, including carpenters, laborers, cement finishers, equipment operators, dock builders and others, Buckley said. It also has the potential to bring more long-term work for a younger workforce.

“These projects will benefit the trades, the region and the federal government,” he said. “It’s also good for investment, as we want to invest back into the region.”

Having mutual respect from the trades in the industry, support and cooperation from the government, including PennDOT Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, and working close to home are what make working in Philadelphia rewarding, he said. 

“I’d rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond,” Buckley said. “As such, we’ve always tried to find a way to get along with everybody, whether it be federal or state governments or the labor unions. We’re a big supporter of organized labor as well as the government, and we try to do the right thing more than anyone else.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Carpenter Contractor Trust and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.