NORWALK, Conn. — A busy section of a major highway that runs through New England will be closed for an “extended period of time” after a tanker carrying gas crashed and burst into flames on Thursday morning, officials said.
All southbound and northbound lanes on Interstate 95 in the area of Exit 15 in Norwalk, Connecticut, are closed after a petroleum truck crashed and burst into flames around 5:30 a.m., state and local police said.
Traffic was backed up for dozens of miles during the morning rush hour and the crash left other highways and secondary roads in gridlock.
“The traffic jams are horrendous,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said.
A photo shared by Norwalk police showed firefighters working to extinguish a massive blaze underneath the Fairfield Avenue overpass. Thick black smoke was also seen consuming the area.
Based on similar incidents, it’s likely the bridge will need to be replaced, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said. State officials say the bridge was damaged but they’re unsure the level of damage given the high temperature of the fire.
“This will impact local roads throughout Norwalk for an extended period of time and will create heavy traffic delays,” Norwalk police said. “Please seek alternate routes and give yourself extra time to travel.”
Connecticut State Police added, “We are currently unable to anticipate the duration of this closure.”
#CTTraffic Update: I-95 northbound and southbound in the area of Exit 15 in Norwalk will remain closed for an extended period of time. We are currently unable to anticipate the duration of this closure. Please seek alternate routes and plan for significant traffic delays.
— CT State Police (@CT_STATE_POLICE) May 2, 2024
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced in a post on X that his team was aware of the situation and working with Connecticut DOT crews.
“Our highways team is working closely with Connecticut’s DOT on the tanker fire that has closed I-95 in Norwalk,” Buttigieg wrote. “Please heed local authorities on detours and avoid the area if possible. Thank you to the first responders who are dealing with the fire and keeping other drivers safe.”
Our highways team is working closely with Connecticut's DOT on the tanker fire that has closed I-95 in Norwalk. Please heed local authorities on detours and avoid the area if possible. Thank you to the first responders who are dealing with the fire and keeping other drivers safe.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) May 2, 2024
Utility crews were working to replace downed wires and crews also needed to offload about 3,000 gallons of gasoline that remained on the tanker.
Environmental crews were also working to clean up gasoline and firefighting foam that ran off into the Norwalk River.
Lamont said there were no serious injuries in the fiery wreck.
The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately known.
Some reporting by the Associated Press was used in this story.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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