NORWALK – Four months after the fiery destruction of the Fairfield Ave. bridge over Interstate 95, the steel skeleton of its replacement spans the highway.
On Wednesday, a project supervisor with the state Dept. of Transportation at the construction site said the next phase in building the new bridge will be installing the utility lines and pipes that will run end-to-end through the core of the structure.
The supervisor, who declined to be identified, said the time it takes to install the utilities – gas, water, power, and communications – depends on the construction schedules of the individual service providers and could take weeks to months.
When that’s completed, a metal deck will be place on top of the bridge that will be paved with concrete.
The Fairfield Ave. bridge was damaged beyond repair the morning of May 2, when a three-vehicle accident in the southbound lanes of I-95 caused a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline to veer into its north abutment and burst into flames.
At times the overpass was enveloped from end to end in fire and plumes of black smoke, with the intense heat softening its core of steel beams and destroying its load capacity.
The inferno immediately closed all lanes of the highway, causing widespread traffic jams locally and having a regional impact on the transportation of freight by truck in the northeast U.S.
A force of construction workers and equipment provided by state contractors managed to demolish the ruined structure and repair the damaged roadway for reopening in two days.
The bridge demolition and road restoration were shown on a live online video feed that, according to the state Dept. of Transportation, drew more than 700,000 views from around the country.
The design for the replacement bridge was completed on June 1, according to the state, and includes sidewalks on both sides. with reduced widths for the vehicle travel lanes to allow for wider shoulders to better accommodate bicyclists.
Construction of the new bridge required demolishing and replacing the center pier and repairing the concrete bridge abutments.
The state said in June the estimated cost to replace the bridge, coupled with the demolition and repair work, was approximately $20 million.
The state said then that the Federal Highway Administration had immediately released $3 million to help cover demolition and repair costs, with the federal government expected to cover up to 80 percent of the costs for the entire project.
The state said Friday construction is expected to last until next spring.
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