I-95 in Connecticut remains closed hours after truck accident sparks fire: See alert map
CONNECTICUT - A truck filled with gasoline burst into flames Thursday morning, closing I-95 in Connecticut during the busy morning commute, and drivers should expect more headaches in the evening.
READ THE LATEST HERE: Parts of I-95 in Connecticut remain closed
All lanes near exit 15 in Norwalk remain closed after the 5:30 a.m. wreck involving a passenger car, tractor-trailer and a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline, which caught fire under a bridge overpass. No injuries were reported, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said.
SkyFOX images show the burned exit sign with debris scattered across the highway.
Most of the blaze has been contained as clean up crews conduct repairs on both sides of the overpass.
SkyFOX images show the burned exit sign with debris scattered across the highway.
Southeastern CT road closure map
Those from Port Chester, New York, to Bridgeport, Connecticut are cautioned to "stay away" from the area.
Traffic was backed up for dozens of miles during the morning rush hour and the crash left other highways and secondary roads in gridlock. The major alternate route in the area, the Merritt Parkway, cannot be used by trucks because the underpasses on that highway are too low.
Credit: Norwalk, Connecticut Police
The governor had planned to provide another update on the situation at 2 p.m., but later pushed that briefing back to 5 p.m.
"I know what an incredible inconvenience this is for people and all I can ask you to do is stay away from that area as best you can," Lamont said during an earlier briefing in Hartford. "The traffic jams are horrendous."
Utility crews were working to replace downed wires and crews also needed to offload about 3,000 gallons of gasoline that remained on the tanker, which was carrying a load of about 8,500 gallons when it crashed, officials said.
"Gasoline can really heat up and heat the bridge up and cause the steel to deform," Scott Hill, chief engineer for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said. "Once we figure out everything that’s associated with the safety of the traveling public and what we can and can’t do, we’ll get more updates to you."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.