Crews return to I-95 accident site to continue demo

Meter

By Chris Harris

Workers were back in Norwalk on Saturday to finish demolishing the Connecticut bridge severely damaged by fire after a gas-filled tanker truck crashed on Interstate 95, and burst into flames.

Both sides of the highway remain closed to traffic between Exits 14 and 16, as crews removed the Fairfield Avenue span, which melted under the intense heat of the gasoline-fed fire.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has said that stretch of highway would remain closed until at least Monday.

The state set up a live webcam showing the ongoing demolition work in real time. By late Saturday, the entire span was gone and crews were working to remove the remaining debris from the roadway. On the left side of the view, a line of traffic was visible on the highway’s service road.

Workers first arrived at the unstable overpass at around 3 am Friday, a day after the fiery crash.

The I-95 closure caused a 13-mile backup on the southbound side of the dual-laned Merritt Parkway, as drivers sought an alternate route around the crash scene.

Serious delays were also reported northbound and on surrounding roads, and backups plagued local streets in Norwalk, Westport, Darien and Stamford.

The crash happened when the tanker collided with another commercial vehicle and then a passenger car, Norwalk Mayor Harry W. Rilling said.

“We are very grateful that no one was seriously injured,” said Rilling, who praised state and local workers for their swift efforts to quell the fire, the Hartford Courant reported.

NBC Connecticut, citing state police, reported a Chevrolet Camaro entering I-95 south from Route 7 collided with the front of the fuel truck, which was in the right lane.

The tanker truck then veered into the center lane, striking a tractor-trailer.

The fuel truck was carrying 8,500 gallons of gas at the time of the crash, resulting in a tremendous fireball.

School was closed in Norwalk on Friday, and Lamont urged drivers to stay away from the area through the weekend, to allow crews easy access.