NORWALK, Conn. — Both sides of Interstate 95 in Norwalk will be closed until at least next Monday following a fiery crash Thursday morning, according to officials.
Norwalk Public Schools will also be closed on Friday, May 3, the school district announced early Thursday evening.
Gov. Ned Lamont and other emergency and transportation officials held their first press conference of the day regarding the closure on Thursday morning, stating that the crash involved a tractor-trailer, a tanker truck carrying oil, and a passenger car. While some minor injuries were reported, officials said there were no critical injuries or fatalities.
The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. by exit 15 on I-95 South, under an overpass. A vehicle had cut off a tractor-trailer, and a fuel tanker swerved to avoid a crash, Norwalk fire officials told FOX61. The tanker then erupted in flames and came to a stop under the overpass.
Norwalk Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Shay told FOX61 that the overpass would have to be demolished in the next 48 hours due to the extensive damage.
Scott Hill, the chief engineer for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said in a press conference Thursday morning the overpass is not in immediate danger of collapsing but traffic on Fairfield Avenue is being kept off it.
Cleanup continues as vacuums pump the remaining fuel into a separate tanker truck, Shay said. The firefighting foam used to put out the flames is called "green foam," which does not contain PFAS, he added.
Over 8,500 gallons of fuel were in the tanker, according to William Turner, the state's Emergency Management Director.
I-95 in Norwalk closed following fiery 3-vehicle crash, overpass to be demolished: Officials
Lamont and other officials stress everyone should avoid the area and use other highways, like Interstate 84, to get around. Officials in surrounding states were also notified, and the message that the highway is closed will be displayed on the DOT screens on various highways as well.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on Facebook that the federal highway team is working closely with Connecticut's DOT on the clean-up and inspection as well.
Update: 5 p.m. press conference
During a press conference held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Lamont noted that he filed an emergency declaration with the federal government, hoping to get funds to rebuild the bridge, which was compromised by the heat of the burning fuel. He said the state will get notified about that in the "not so distant future."
The demolition will begin at 3 a.m. on Friday, Lamont said, noting that the process could take more than 24 hours. He said the roadway at the site affected might need repaving before the highway can open again.
"If all goes well, we should have two-way commuting back on I-95 as early as Monday morning, which is heroic work," Lamont said.
As of Thursday afternoon, Lamont said traffic congestion in the area is still heavy. Extra rail service will be provided as needed.
"My recommendation is, if you can't stay home, take the train, stay away from the cars," Lamont said.
Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said the event could have been "so much worse" and the city is very grateful nobody was seriously injured. He was also grateful for the response from the state of Connecticut and the emergency personnel.
"Things will get back to normal in Norwalk as quickly as we can," Rilling said, adding that he would stagger work times for his staff on Friday to reduce traffic. Some staff will work from home.
Rilling also said that extra first responders are on site and noted, "We think we've got everything under control, and we're optimistic we're going to move forward with this and get through it."
CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said utility crews are at the scene.
He said the bridge was less than 10 years old but the damage was severe due to the amount of gasoline that was in the tanker, which ignited directly underneath the bridge structure. The steel began to overheat and warp. Due to it being a continuous beam bridge, it cannot be safely reopened and neither can the highway at this time, Eucalitto said.
A contractor with large equipment that the state does not currently stage will be brought in to demolish the bridge. Work is expected to continue through the weekend until the highway reopens Monday morning if all goes smoothly and the weather cooperates, Eucalitto said.
State police said that there was one occupant in each of the three vehicles - a car, a tanker truck and a tractor trailer - involved in the crash. No injuries were reported, which a state police colonel considered to be fortunate. No enforcement action has been taken at this time, as the investigation is ongoing.
The state is looking for the public's cooperation in avoiding the area, as traffic was backed up as of early Thursday evening. The state trooper asked for residents to be patient and said commercial vehicles are being asked to stay off the parkways.
"We are out there, and we're working to keep the roadways safe," he said.
DEEP said its emergency response unit arrived on scene Thursday morning and that approximately 4,000 gallons of gasoline spilled and burned away while approximately 4,000 gallons of gas have been recovered from the tanker-truck. There was no impact on the air quality, and the cleaning effort is still ongoing.
"We believe there is no impact to the Norwalk River or to the harbor," a DEEP representative said, as the spill cleanup contractors remained on scene removing gasoline. DEEP expected to maintain its presence there overnight.
Eucalitto said the highway will not be safe until the bridge is removed, based on the review of engineers. A temporary bridge is not possible, he said, as the highway is too wide. He added that the middle pier in the median of the highway must be inspected when the bridge is removed. If there is no damage to the pier, "that will make life a little bit easier," Eucalitto said.
He added that it could take up to a year to replace the bridge as there is a significant lag time in ordering steel. Fairfield Avenue in Norwalk is the local street that passed over the bridge.
On a daily basis, factoring both sides of the highway, Eucalitto said that an average of 160,000 combined cars pass through that point of I-95.
State police said there is a detour for I-95 northbound traffic that will take drivers off Exit 14 and bring them back at the onramp for Exit 15. On the southbound side, drivers will leave the highway off Exit 15 onto West Street and get back on at the Exit 14 onramp. Passenger vehicles can access Route 7 and travel to the Merritt Parkway at Exit 3. All commercial traffic would have to avoid Exit 3 and get off the West Street exit, Exit 1, Exit 2 or Grist Mill.
Emergency Management Director Bill Turner said wireless emergency alerts have been sent out informing drivers coming from New York to avoid the area and that they will remain in effect at least into Friday. He said that the alerts have been effective so far and thanked the public for its cooperation.
"We're really encouraging anyone coming out of Boston to (avoid) this incident (site) as well as (drivers) coming out of New York," Turner said.
Eucalitto said he's been in communication with state DOTs all the way down to Delaware up through Massachusetts. They've put message boards in their states informing truckers to avoid I-95.
"That information has been pushed out to all the state DOTs," Eucalitto said.
Lamont noted, "Thank God, (tomorrow) is a Friday. Not our busiest day," regarding what to expect for traffic on Friday.
"I worry about supply chain issues and delays we may have back and forth. I think it will definitely impact the local merchants in a variety of ways," Lamont said.
When asked about potential road rage, the state police colonel said that troopers are available and ready to respond; if there is an issue, dial 911.
Norwalk Public Schools announced around 5:30 p.m. that schools will be closed on Friday, May 3 due to ongoing traffic concerns and delays. The district will allow athletic games, drama performances and proms to take place. All practices are cancelled.
This is a developing story.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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