Biehler said crews are waiting for parts for the four support towers to come from Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Coatesville tonight.
The towers, which can handle a load of up to two million pounds, will be placed around the damaged column, which was discovered on a routine inspection.
Drivers said traffic on alternative routes, including Roosevelt Boulevard, was extremely heavy.
For police assigned to the area, much of the work involved keeping cars moving and drivers' tempers under control.
"It takes people a certain amount of time to adjust their plans and their temperament," said Inspector L.B. Rebstock, commander of the traffic and park division.
In the 2400 block of north Richmond St., near the cracked pillar, pedestrians wandered by to have a look and some took photos with their cell phone cameras. Officials on hand included Gov. Rendell.
Rendell said he was in Philadelphia on unrelated business but wanted to see the damage. Inspecting the jagged crack that officials say was probably caused by road salt and freezing water, he said it highlighted overall problems with the nation's deteriorating infrastructure: "You are going to see more and more of it," he said. "It's old."
Joe Petaccio, 37, of Churchville, Buck County, co-owns J.P. Tee's, a T-shirt shop across the street.
"Normally, it takes me 25 minutes to get to work. Today it took me an hour and a half. I use 95 every day," he said. "Now I'm stuck with side streets."
Petaccio contemplated spending the night in the city in order to to avoid Wednesday's commute.
Leann Freer, 47, of Port Richmond, was walking on Richmond Street.
"I take buses, but they're getting tied up in the traffic. This is bad for commuters and bad for people in the neighborhood. The neighborhood's been turned into a highway," she said. "But it's better to fix this now than have a tragedy in the future."
