The Fairfield Avenue Bridge which passes over Interstate 95 was damaged by a fire on the morning of May 2 caused by a three-vehicle collision including a tanker truck with a cargo of gasoline. Although no serious injuries occurred, the damage to the bridge was extensive enough to require its complete removal for the sake of safety, according to a briefing provided by Governor Ned Lamont and other public officials at 5pm on May 2.
The work began on the morning of May 3, out of state contractors were contracted as the heavy demolition equipment required for rapid removal are not typically staged in Connecticut.
In order to facilitate the rapid removal of the bridge, located between exits 14 and 15 in Norwalk, traffic in both directions will continue to be diverted until the morning of Monday May 6 when traffic in both directions is anticipated to reopen.
Norwalk closed schools on May 3 to reduce traffic as much as possible, while both Mayor Harry Rilling and Governor Ned Lamont urged as many people as possible to either work from home or use public transit.
An additional briefing on the event is scheduled for today at 1:15pm.
