A major traffic artery connecting New England to New York has been closed in Connecticut for several days following a tanker fire that damaged a bridge on Interstate 95. The incident occurred when a tanker truck carrying gasoline burst into flames during a three-vehicle crash in southwest Connecticut, causing significant traffic delays. While there were no serious injuries, the heat from the burning fuel caused damage to the bridge above the accident site. Governor Ned Lamont stated that the bridge will need to be demolished and reconstructed, with the hope of reopening the interstate by Monday morning. The city of Norwalk, where the accident took place, has announced school closures and urged employers to consider allowing remote work or using alternative transportation methods for employees.
Despite the relatively young age of the bridge, the damage caused by the gasoline-fueled fire was substantial, requiring the complete removal of the structure for safety reasons. Overheating and warping of steel beams beneath the bridge made it unsafe for any traffic to pass beneath it. As a result, the entire bridge, which spans both directions of the highway, will need to be demolished and rebuilt. The process of demolition is expected to take around 24 hours and may be followed by repaving the roadway before it can be reopened to vehicles. The city is currently looking into potential federal reimbursement to cover the costs of bridge replacement.
The closure of the heavily traveled portion of I-95 has had a significant impact on traffic in the area, with delays stretching for miles in all directions. Detours have been set up to redirect vehicles around the accident scene, with the major alternate route, the Merritt Parkway, being unsuitable for trucks due to low underpasses. Residents in the surrounding states of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey were notified of the closure, and trucking companies using this section of I-95 were advised to seek alternative routes and means of travel. The Department of Transportation is working to address the situation, with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg also notified about the incident.
In addition to the removal of the remaining gasoline from the tanker and repairs to utility wires, environmental crews have been working to clean up any spilled gasoline and firefighting foam from the accident site. Measures were taken to contain the runoff in a retention pond, preventing it from entering the Norwalk River or the city’s harbor. The accident is reminiscent of a similar incident that occurred last year in Philadelphia on I-95 when a gasoline-carrying tractor-trailer caught fire, causing a section of the highway to be destroyed. This latest crash on I-95 in Connecticut comes just over a year after another significant accident that resulted in the closure of the interstate in the same area.
