Eastbound lanes of the Vine Street Expressway are back open, work continues on westbound lanes

This story originally appeared on 6ABC

Updated 3:55 p.m.

Great news for drivers, PennDOT says the eastbound lanes of the Vine Street Expressway are back open.

Crews continue to clear debris from the westbound lanes.

Work crews have been working around the clock to clear the highway of flood water and debris.

The Vine Street Expressway had been closed since Wednesday night after the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused historic flooding in the Philadelphia region.

Officials said a major pumping station along the Vine Street Expressway failed and halted water from being properly pumped out of the area after the rainfall Wednesday.

Tree debris may have also contributed to the issues.

But even once the water is gone, some work will still need to be done.

“You need to scrape the mud and debris off the roadway and see if there’s any damage underneath,” said Steve Lorenz, the Chief Highway Engineer with the Philadelphia Streets Department.

Across the street on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, it’s like nothing ever happened as preparations for this weekend’s Made In American Festival press on.

“We can do two things at once,” Mayor Jim Kenney said at a Friday news conference. “I think it’s good for the city so we can celebrate a little bit even in the midst of potential tragedy.”

The trouble on the roads wasn’t limited to the expressway. Around-the-clock work continues for the streets department across the city.

“Yesterday we were able to open Forbidden Drive, Ridge Avenue and Lincoln Drive. Currently we’re working on Kelly Drive, Main Street,” Lorenz said.

Cleanup continued all along Main Street in Manayunk after the Schuylkill River submerged the area, including businesses like Mike’s Pizza.