NORWALK, Conn — Demolition of an overpass spanning Interstate 95 in Norwalk started Friday after a fiery crash Thursday morning. Norwalk Public Schools will also be closed on Friday.
The demolition work means that both sides of the highway will be closed in Norwalk throughout the weekend. State officials said Friday afternoon they aim to reopen the area for Monday morning rush hour.
The Connecticut Dept. of Transportation has set up a camera to livestream the demolition. Watch live here.
Crews started demolition Friday by removing the concrete from the overpass. The next steps are removing the bridge's metal beams, cleaning up debris, and resurfacing the roadway.
State police said there is a detour for I-95 northbound traffic that will take drivers off Exit 14 and bring them back to 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 must avoid Exit 3 and get off the West Street exit, Exit 1, Exit 2, or Grist Mill.
RELATED: I-95 in Norwalk closed following fiery 3-vehicle crash, overpass to be demolished: Officials
The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. by exit 15 on I-95 South when a passenger car cut off a tanker truck. The tanker then veered out of its lane and hit a tractor-trailer. That's when the tanker caught on fire and stopped under the overpass. The tanker was carrying around 8,500 gallons of gas which then burned under the overpass, causing damage to the structure.
Despite the damage, officials said no one was seriously hurt in the crash.
Traffic was kept off of the overpass until it could be inspected further. CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said that the bridge was only 8 years old, but the damage was too severe. Due to the intensity of the fire, the steel began to overheat and warp. The overpass was a "continuous beam bridge" meaning it couldn't be safely reopened until it was fixed, nor was it safe to have traffic driving underneath.
Eucalitto said he's been in communication with state DOTs down to Delaware up through Massachusetts. They've put message boards in their states informing truckers to avoid I-95.
Eucalitto said that a temporary bridge is also not possible as the highway is too wide. When the bridge is removed, the middle pier in the median of the highway must also be inspected. If the pier is not damaged, then it'll make it "a little 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.
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.
Gov. Lamont said that he filed an emergency declaration with the federal government, hoping to get the funds needed to rebuild the bridge. He said the state would be notified about it in the "not-so-distant future."
Lamont also said the demolition would begin at 3 a.m. on Friday and that the process "could take more than 24 hours." The site where the crash happened may also need repaving before the road can be opened again. Extra rail service will also be provided.
"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.
The governor also asked anyone who could stay home and work instead of traveling through the area, to do so.
"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."
The impacts of the crash and fire were not only seen on the roads but also in the surrounding environment.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said around 4,000 gallons of gas spilled and burned away while another 4,000 gallons had 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 is expected to maintain its presence there into early Friday morning.
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.
"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.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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