I-95 in Connecticut fully reopens after fiery petroleum tanker crash damages road

NORWALK, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – Interstate 95 in Connecticut fully reopened Sunday morning following a fiery petroleum tanker crash last week.

The crash involved three vehicles, including the tanker and another tractor-trailer in Norwalk around 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. Police say a car was merging onto 95 South when it collided with a tanker truck.

The tanker truck then collided with a tractor-trailer before bursting into flames under the Fairfield Avenue overpass.

Officials said no one was injured.

However, the crash shut down the highway and slowed traffic in lower Fairfield County and around Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation and its contractors got the highway fully reopened in less than 80 hours.

Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto made the announcement Sunday morning.

“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.

The bridge was heavily damaged when a tanker truck caught fire after it was involved in a crash Thursday morning.

The governor said southbound lanes of the highway would remain closed to vehicles through the day on Sunday, May 5, to allow those lanes to be milled and repaved.

To view camera footage of the demolition, click here.

“Completely removing that bridge in less than 36 hours is an impressive feat and is credit to the hard work and dedication of the contractors and Connecticut Department of Transportation crews, who are pushing to get the entire highway fully reopened in both directions by Monday morning,” Governor Lamont said.

Governor Lamont declared a state of emergency to speed up reconstruction.

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