Demolition crews began the monumental task on Friday of removing and repairing a bridge that was destroyed after a collision on I-95 caused a tanker fire. The tanker was transporting 8,500 gallons of gas.
That particular section of I-95 in Norwalk, CT will not open again until Monday.
From The New York Post:
Workers arrived at the Fairfield Avenue overpass around 3 a.m. Friday, a day after the fiery crash — with a 13-mile backup reported on the southbound side of the Merritt Parkway in Fairfield, and serious delays also reported northbound and on surrounding routes.
The damaged section of the I-95 is not expected to re-open until Monday the earliest following the shocking Thursday morning crash in which a tanker truck packed with 8,500 gallons of gas slammed into a tractor-trailer and a car before bursting into a fireball.
Norwalk Public Schools even closed Friday “due to ongoing traffic concerns and delays.”
People were encouraged to work from home and avoid non-essential travel to ease travel around the interstate, a major East Coast artery that links New York and New England.
“We’ve scheduled some different staggering work times for people so that they can come in later, maybe go home earlier so we can reduce some of the traffic,” Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said.
“But we’re also asking a lot of our staff to work from home. So we feel that we’ll keep some of the traffic off the road.”
Watch footage from the blaze and the clean up below:
Watch the scene from the fiery collision on I-95 at Exit 15 in this video. Despite the dramatic scene, thankfully everyone involved is safe.
➡️ Take a glimpse into the aftermath. Huge thanks to our first responders for ensuring everyone's safety. pic.twitter.com/EOIk6m9VrK
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) May 2, 2024
A petroleum tanker crash caused a fire with massive flames and dark plumes of smoke on I-95 in Connecticut.
Story: https://t.co/pMzEPpR9lr
–#crash #fueltanker #fire #connecticut pic.twitter.com/b5YMc19cSR
— FOX5 Las Vegas (@FOX5Vegas) May 3, 2024
What is it with fuel trucks and I-95 overpasses? pic.twitter.com/Tk4tRiuNHX
— TimOnPoint (@TimOnPoint) May 2, 2024
🔥BREAKING: A massive incident has shaken NorWalk, Connecticut, as a petroleum tanker truck collided with another car on the I-95 Highway under an overpass, causing a catastrophic explosion!
The impact was so severe that the tanker truck burst into flames, and large, heavy… pic.twitter.com/jC4EO7Irha
— 🇺🇸 InterStar Media 🇺🇸 (@InterStarMedia) May 2, 2024
More over at The New York Post:
Demolition begins on I-95 bridge damaged in tanker fire, sparking traffic nightmare and closing schools https://t.co/eYdbfuSUKD pic.twitter.com/6u0EEx6Sz3
— New York Post (@nypost) May 3, 2024