Interstate 95 in Connecticut reopens after fiery gas tanker left it closed for days

Interstate 95 in southwest Connecticut reopened in both directions Sunday, just days after a three-vehicle crash caused a gas tanker to erupt into flames, damaging an overpass and closing traffic on the busy highway.

Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto announced that the interstate in Norwalk, Connecticut, would fully reopen by 10 a.m. Sunday after it was closed for days. Officials had initially anticipated the interstate to be reopened by Monday morning before rush hour.

The fiery crash happened around 5:30 a.m. Thursday after the tanker collided with two other vehicles and caught fire. Connecticut State Police said a vehicle hit the tanker, which was carrying 8,500 gallons of fuel at the time, while it was attempting to merge lanes. The tanker then struck a tractor-trailer in another lane and burst into flames, damaging the overpass above the interstate.

No one was killed or seriously injured in the crash, authorities said. About 6,500 gallons of fuel were burned in the fire and state environmental teams conducted a cleanup operation along the nearby Norwalk River, according to State Emergency Management Director William Turner.

"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 a statement 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 overpass sustained significant damage from the incident and crews demolished it on Saturday. The Connecticut Department of Transportation said the northbound lanes of the interstate reopened to vehicles around 8 p.m. on Saturday.

More than 100,000 drivers use Interstate 95 in the state per day as of September, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation's traffic data. The highway connects New York City to Connecticut and Rhode Island.

I-95 opens ahead of schedule

Crews began demolition work early Friday and removed tons of concrete, steel, and debris from the roadway, according to Lamont. Sections of the interstate were also milled and paved in both directions.

In a Saturday update, Lamont and Eucalitto crews had remained at the site of the overpass throughout Friday night and continued working through early Saturday. Crews were able to complete the demolition of the overpass by 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation shared photos on social media showing the work crews and contractors had done over the weekend.

Although the highway is open, Eucalitto said Sunday that officials are continuing work on the overpass, including planning how and when the overpass will be replaced.

"While crews were working to reopen I-95, CTDOT engineers worked through the weekend to develop preliminary replacement plans of the Fairfield Avenue Bridge," Lamont's office said in a news release. "Those initial designs are expected to be completed within the next two weeks."

According to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the federal government is paying for the removal and repairs. He estimated the project could cost about $20 million.

State of emergency declared in Connecticut

Lamont had declared a state of emergency after the crash to help "expedite some of the resources needed for us to respond to this situation." Lamont's office and the Connecticut Department of Transportation also requested the Federal Highway Administration for "an expedited release of $3 million to assist with the initial response" on Friday.

During a news conference Friday, officials shared concerns about the crash's impact on the local economy.

Blumenthal said his office is monitoring the economic impact on area businesses, including the possibility of those businesses receiving low-interest loans from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Small Business Administration. Eucalitto urged residents to take the train in Norwalk and visit businesses that might have been impacted by the incident.

Contributing: Krystal Nurse and Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY