Bus in Fresh Concrete
A SEPTA bus gets stuck in newly poured concrete outside a Philadelphia bakery.
Anonymous
Key Points
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Video footage showed one person apparently warning the driver about the wet concrete while another moved the hazard signs; the bus then attempted to go around the pothole but drove into the cement instead.
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Bakery manager Vince Termini said the community had waited more than two years for the pothole repairs, and the bus entered the wet cement less than two minutes after the work was completed.
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The bus’s spinning wheels left deep tire tracks in the newly poured cement; barriers were subsequently placed on top of the damaged section so vehicles could cross it.
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Termini Brothers Bakery said the incident was especially frustrating because it feared the damage could affect business over a holiday weekend.
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The number of passengers aboard the bus at the time of the incident was not reported.
A SEPTA bus sank into freshly poured concrete Thursday evening on South 8th Street in South Philadelphia, destroying pothole repairs that the community had waited over two years to receive. South Philly Review reported that the Route 47 bus became stuck outside Termini Brothers Bakery after passengers moved hazard barriers aside, and video showed the bus's wheels spinning deep tracks into the wet cement within minutes of the work's completion.
The bus was towed after roughly 45 minutes to several hours stuck in the cement, and passengers were transferred to another vehicle. NBC Philadelphia reported that no injuries occurred, but the incident damaged the newly finished repairs and frustrated the bakery and neighborhood residents who had waited so long for the pothole fix.
Barriers Moved, Bus Enters Active Work Zone
Video footage revealed that two passengers on the bus removed the street barricades blocking the freshly poured concrete. Crossing Broad reported that the driver and passengers held a conference on the bus before attempting to proceed, and the passengers then moved the hazard signs to clear a path.
The bus then tried to drive around the pothole but instead veered directly into the wet cement. The wheels began spinning, cutting deep tire tracks into the repair work that had only just been completed. CBS News called it a quote the most Philly thing ever end quote, capturing the frustration of residents watching hours of repairs destroyed in seconds.
Two-Year Wait Ends in Immediate Damage
Termini Brothers Bakery manager Vince Termini told South Philly Review that the community had waited more than two years for the pothole repairs on this block. The concrete was poured Thursday evening, and the bus entered the work zone less than two minutes after the repairs were completed, leaving the bakery and neighborhood devastated.
Termini said the incident was especially painful because it occurred just before a holiday weekend, raising fears that the damage could hurt the bakery's business. Barriers were later placed on top of the damaged cement section so vehicles could continue crossing, but the fresh repairs were permanently marked with tire ruts.
SEPTA Confirms Investigation Into Route Closure Failure
SEPTA said a detour was in effect before the bus entered the closed roadway, but the agency did not explain why the bus attempted to proceed through an active work zone. The transit system is now investigating how the hazard barriers were moved and why the driver was not better informed about the fresh cement ahead.
The incident exposed gaps in communication between street work crews, traffic control, and transit operations. Effective street safety requires verified closures, clear field-level communication between construction teams and transit dispatchers, and tamper-resistant barriers that cannot be easily moved by passengers.
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