Part of busy I-95 corridor in Connecticut will be closed at least through the weekend after a gas tanker fire

By Rob Frehse and Holly Yan, CNN

(CNN) — A busy stretch of I-95 in southeastern Connecticut will be closed through the weekend – and possibly longer – while crews dismantle and rebuild an overpass that was damaged when a gas tanker caught fire Thursday morning, Gov. Ned Lamont said.

“The fire from this morning’s accident caused significant structural damage to an overpass on I-95 in Norwalk and it is not safe for traffic to use the road at this time,” Lamont said in a statement Thursday. He declared a state of emergency after the crash Thursday.

“This emergency declaration will help expedite some of the resources needed for us to respond to this situation,” Lamont said.

I-95 near exit 15 in Norwalk “will remain closed at least through the weekend,” the governor added. “I strongly encourage everyone to avoid this area for at least the next few days while the highway remains closed and to stay alert for updates.”

Norwalk, a city of more than 90,000 people, is about 30 miles southwest of New Haven, Connecticut, and about 40 miles northeast of New York City.

The closure comes just months after a portion of I-10 in downtown Los Angeles was closed for eight days after being damaged in a fire under an overpass.

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