A portion of Interstate 95 in Connecticut reopened Sunday morning after a major crash last week damaged an overpass and closed the highway, a major artery along the East Coast.
In the accident, fuel from a fuel tanker carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline ignited the Fairfield Avenue Bridge in Norwalk, Conn., which spanned the highway. Workers spent 80 hours repairing the road demolishing the damaged bridgeConnecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a statement on Sunday.
No serious injuries were reported in the crash, but the damage caused by the intense heat of the burning fuel was so extensive that Governor Lamont declared a state of emergency.
Repairing the roadway “is vital to the safety, welfare and health of the people of Connecticut, as well as the residents of the states along the East Coast,” he wrote.
The cost to demolish and replace the bridge will be about $20 million, Julia Bergman, the governor's communications director, said Sunday.
Exit 15 in Norwalk, near where the crash occurred, reopened Sunday.
Without the bridge, motorists will have to use other overpasses to cross the highway, Ms. Bergman added. The state is seeking federal funding to replace the bridge, Gov. Lamont said at a news conference Thursday.
The accident happened around 5:30 a.m. Thursday on the southbound side of the highway. It involved a passenger car, a tractor-trailer and the fuel tanker, which transported approximately 8,500 liters of gasoline. At least half of the fuel spilled over the highway, government officials said.
The incident caused a nightmarish rush-hour commute, bringing traffic to a standstill for miles and forcing drivers to drive slowly detours. The closure also forced Norwalk Public Schools to cancel Friday classes.
Over the weekend, workers removed tons of steel, concrete and debris from the highway before repaving the roadway, Gov. Lamont said.