NORWALK, Conn. — Interstate 95 reopened in both directions Sunday in Norwalk, Connecticut, days after a tanker truck caught fire and badly damaged a bridge above.
The northbound lanes reopened Saturday, and Gov. Ned Lamont announced the highway would fully reopen around 10 a.m. Sunday. Officials previously said they hoped to have everything open by the Monday commute.
“It is truly amazing that in less than 80 hours from that fiery crash Thursday that shut down traffic in both directions, the highway again is fully open,” Lamont said in his statement.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation shared a photo on social media showing the work that was done between 9 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday.
“It takes a village, and from the response from local and state police and fire departments to the environmental cleanup by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the demolition and rebuilding by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and contractors, everyone did their part,” the governor’s statement continued. “I am impressed by these efforts and thankful for the dedication, skill, and labor of everyone who has been involved.”
Chain-reaction crash leads to massive tanker fire
Norwalk Police Department / X
Early Thursday morning, authorities said a car swerved in front of a truck that was pulling a flatbed trailer near the Fairfield Avenue overpass just past exit 15 south. The truck then swerved to avoid the car and hit the back of a fuel tanker, which burst into flames under the overpass and spilled thousands of gallons of gasoline onto the highway.
Firefighters and hazmat crews responded to contain the flames and the spill, and officials later said the air and water quality were not impacted in the area.
The bridge, however, was badly damaged and had to be demolished. DOT crews tore down the bridge Friday before repairs could begin on the roadway Saturday.
I-95 was shut down in both directions Thursday and Friday, causing a major traffic headache for commuters and residual delays on the Merritt Parkway, I-84 and I-87.
Fairfield Avenue is expected to remain closed for at least a year while the overpass is replaced.
State of emergency in CT
Lamont declared a state of emergency after the crash, saying the impacted stretch of highway typically serves 160,000 vehicles per day.
Drivers received text alerts to avoid I-95, and trucking companies were told to use I-87 and I-84 instead. Schools were closed Friday in Norwalk, officials asked companies to let their employees work from home, if possible.
“I worry about supply chain issues,” the governor said last Thursday. “I think it will definitely impact the local merchants.”
CBS New York spoke with local business owners who said business was slow on Friday.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said his office is looking into loans for the impacted businesses and to offset the estimated $20 million to repair and reopen the highway.