NORWALK, Conn. (AP) — A tanker truck full of gasoline burst into flames in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 95 in Connecticut, closing the East Coast’s main north-south highway Thursday and causing major traffic jams.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said there were no serious injuries in the 5:30 a.m. crash. However, the highway was expected to be closed for most of the day.
Text message alerts have been sent to residents of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey and trucking companies have been asked to find alternative routes and travel options, he said. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was also notified.
“I know what an incredible inconvenience this is for people, and I can only ask that you stay away from this area as best you can,” Lamont said during a briefing in Hartford. “The traffic jams are terrible.”
Traffic was backed up for dozens of miles during the morning rush hour, and the accident caused other highways and secondary roads to come to a standstill. The main alternate route in the area, the Merritt Parkway, cannot be used by trucks because the underpasses on this highway are too low.
The accident was reminiscent of last year’s fatal accident in Philadelphia on I-95, when a tractor-trailer loaded with gasoline lost control, caught fire and destroyed a section of the highway.
Thursday’s accident occurred under a bridge. The Overpass was damaged but it appeared to be “stable and safe,” said Scott Hill, chief engineer for the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
As of midday, engineers were still waiting to enter the scene and assess the full extent of the damage, with the aim of reopening the highway as quickly as possible.
“As you know, there have been several other incidents across the state and elsewhere where a tanker truck caught fire under the bridge and the bridge ultimately had to be replaced,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “Hopefully that will be the case here.”
Utility crews worked to replace broken lines, and crews also had to unload approximately 3,000 gallons (approximately 11,400 liters) of gasoline that remained on the tanker, which had a load of approximately 8,500 gallons (approximately 32,000 liters) at the time of the accident. had promoted, officials said.
“Gasoline can heat the bridge significantly and cause the steel to deform,” he said. “Once we figure out everything related to the safety of the traveling public and what we can and cannot do, we will provide you with further updates.”
Environmental crews also worked to clean up gasoline and firefighting foam that spilled into the Norwalk River, officials said.
The accident came a little more than a year after a similar accident on Interstate 95 in Connecticut that forced the highway’s closure.
In April 2023, another tanker truck caught fire after colliding with a stopped car on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge between New London and Groton. The tanker driver was killed. The crash shut down the south side of the bridge for hours, while the north side was closed briefly. The driver of the car was recently charged with negligent homicide.