Crises will often make or break a politician.

Despite his best efforts at following the science, former Gov. Tom Wolf was crucified for some of his draconian policies put into place during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While certainly not of the same magnitude, the collapse of the Interstate 95 bridge in Philadelphia earlier this month and its aftermath has put the spotlight on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. The first-term Democrat is getting high marks for the way he has handled and involved himself during the crisis that has snarled traffic and disrupted the supply chain throughout the East Coast by making it more difficult for thousands of commuters, summer vacationers and delivery vehicles to transport goods and commodities because of detours necessitated by the collapse.

And now with his announcement that I-95 will reopen this weekend, about a week earlier than his previous announcement of two weeks earlier this week, those who depend on this major thoroughfare have been blown away by the speed of the temporary fix.

In true Shapiro fashion, he shared the applause with the lightning speed and efficiency of labor union workers. “We have worked around the clock to get this done, and we’ve completed each phase safely and ahead of schedule,” Shapiro said. “That’s all due to the incredible coordination with our local, state, and federal partners and thanks to the hardworking men and women of the Philadelphia Building Trades who are making this happen.”

Shapiro has exhibited a take-charge attitude that has Democrats, even some Republicans, wondering out loud whether he might be presidential material. Being governor of a major swing state who has an unblemished record so far, Shapiro has not expressed presidential aspirations - at least not publicly - but there is no question that he is being looked at as a contender in 2028 after his annihilation of Republican Doug Mastriano in the 2022 gubernatorial race. Now, his high profile and near flawless handling of the I-95 dislocation has caught the attention of Democratic movers and shakers around the country, not just here in Pennsylvania.

Whenever the topic of higher office has come up, Shapiro said his focus is on his job as governor and getting the first budget on his watch approved to help the state deal with some of its top issues. The budget deadline is eight days away.

Despite the glowing adjectives being used to describe Shapiro right now, don’t expect some groundswell of support to persuade him to consider a run in 2024, despite President Joe Biden’s unpopularity. First of all, you don’t buck an incumbent president from your own party who has already announced his re-election plans. Such a move would be political suicide. Even if Biden were to drop out of the race, Shapiro backers are eyeing 2028, because they fear that to go after the nomination prematurely would be a mistake and might hinder his much better chances down the road - provided that he keeps his nose clean, does an excellent job as governor and doesn’t waver too far from the middle of the road politically.

Shapiro has shown himself to be politically astute in dealing with the Republican opposition. Although he considers himself to be a progressive, Shapiro does not push the extreme left-leaning positions that make some candidates unsupportable by moderates, independents and those whose views are extremely right of center.

When Biden was in Philadelphia last weekend to kick off his presidential campaign, he and Shapiro toured the I-95 site in Marine helicopter one. At a joint news conference following the tour, it was Shapiro who announced that I-95 would be open to traffic in two weeks. Even that was much earlier than originally expected. Shapiro’s handling of the I-95 disruption prompted Biden to say that the governor is “doing one heck of a job.” In many respects, Shapiro seems to be filling the void caused by the disengagement of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, whose term ends at the end of the year. Kenny is completing his second term and was not eligible to seek re-election.

Another politician who was effusive in his praise for Shapiro was Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, chair of the House Transportation Committee. Neilson said Shapiro looked “more presidential than most” from the way that he has handled himself during this critical time.

Even some Republicans have lauded Shapiro for his quick actions in dealing with the I-95 crisis. Republican City Councilman Brian J. O’Neill said, “You couldn’t ask for more from a governor.”

Shapiro, 50, has risen from Montgomery County commissioner to state attorney general to governor all in the span of 12 years. Can he take the biggest step of all next - the one that leads to the White House?

By BRUCE FRASSINELLI| tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.