State hopes to reopen I-95 Monday, rebuild overpass in a year

State officials continue to predict that the Fairfield Avenue overpass can be rebuilt within a year, even if the central pier was damaged beyond repair by Thursday morning’s fiery inferno on Interstate 95. They stand by their prediction that I-95 can reopen ahead of Monday’s rush hour.

Norwalk officials said fire and police response times won’t be affected by the year-long Fairfield Avenue overpass closure.

“It is what it is,” Mayor Harry Rilling said at a Friday news conference. “We have to live with it… It’s going to be an inconvenience that we’re going to have to deal with.”

The accident occurred at 5:30 a.m. when a passenger car sideswiped both a tractor trailer and a tanker carrying 8,500 gallons of petroleum, according to Gov. Ned Lamont. The tanker, parked under the overpass, caught fire, heavily damaging the relatively new overpass, constructed eight years ago according to Rilling.

No one was injured.

According to a news release:

• “Work to remove the damaged structure began at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 3, and crews will continue working on this around the clock through the weekend. Once the bridge is removed, sections of I-95 will be milled and paved in both directions in the area.
• “All lanes of I-95 northbound and southbound in Norwalk will remain closed until further notice. I-95 northbound is closed to all traffic at exit 14 and I-95 southbound is closed to all traffic at exit 15. Travelers are urged to avoid the area and use public transportation services. Commercial vehicles should use I-84 as an alternate route through Connecticut.
• “The goal is to have the highway reopened by the morning rush hour commute on Monday, May 6.”

Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto acknowledged that weather may play a role in reopening I-95.

The recent construction of the overpass means that there are engineering specifics available to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, perhaps lightening the load. But federal requirements have been updated since then.

“We won’t be able to reuse the pier,” Eucalitto said. “We’re right now determining whether we will take it down in the next couple days or wait until the full reconstruction to take it down.”

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said the reconstruction will cost at least $20 million.

“We have every assurance that the Department of Transportation will provide this emergency relief. So none of the costs is borne by Connecticut taxpayers,” Blumenthal said.

“I am strongly urging all drivers – whether you’re in a passenger vehicle or a commercial vehicle – to completely avoid I-95 this weekend,”Lamont said in the news release. “Additional traffic is only going to make things harder for everyone. Please use public transportation if you need to move through the area. Heroic local and state first responders got the crash cleared and the fire under control yesterday, and now the amazing team with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, as well as our contractor teams, are going to be working all weekend under immense pressure to get the highway reopened. I appreciate their hard work and dedication to the people of Connecticut.”

“I’m totally impressed with the response of the Norwalk Fire Department, Norwalk Police Department, State of Connecticut, Governor Lamont’s office, Senator Blumenthal,” Rilling said. “This is a team effort. And where we are today is remarkably further than I thought we would be when this first happened.”

ConnDOT livestream of bridge demolition.

Updated 11:41 a.m.: More information.