Fairfield Avenue overpass damaged by fire fully demolished

Now that the bridge has come down, crews will need to clear the debris and repave the road.

Tom Krosnowski and Rose Shannon

May 4, 2024, 4:53 PM

Updated 156 days ago

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UPDATE: Gov. Ned Lamont has announced that all northbound lanes on Interstate 95 in Norwalk will reopen Saturday at 8 p.m. Earlier original story is below.
The Fairfield Avenue overpass in Norwalk was fully demolished Saturday.
Work began early Friday morning as crews stripped the guardrails and the concrete.
The biggest signs of progress were made Saturday morning. At 7 a.m., the bridge was still completely standing. By 10 a.m., half the bridge had already been destroyed.
Crews started on the northbound overpass, the side where power lines caught on fire Thursday morning. Work then moved to the southbound side where a petroleum tanker, tractor-trailer and car collided and first set fire to the bridge around 5:30 a.m. Thursday.
Damage from the heat of the fire made the bridge unsafe to drive under.
Now that the bridge has come down, crews will need to clear the debris and repave the road.
News 12's Tom Krosnowski's earlier coverage:
Officials have said their goal is to reopen the interstate in time for the Monday morning commute. It's not clear if Sunday's expected rain will impact the timeline.
On Friday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal confirmed the federal government will cover reconstruction costs, which he estimates at $20 million. A temporary bridge will not be installed. It will take at least a year to install a new bridge.
The Fairfield Avenue overpass was installed less than 10 years ago.
Officials have asked people to avoid Norwalk if they are able to.
The Department of Transportation has installed a webcam to provide a real-time live video feed of the ongoing work.