Demolition is underway on the Fairfield Ave. bridge over I-95, in Norwalk, Conn. May 3, 2023. NORWALK — By Monday, the Fairfield Avenue overpass connecting South Norwalk to Connecticut Avenue is
expected to be demolished after a fiery crash Thursday morning compromised the bridge’s structural integrity. “It’s going to be an inconvenience that we’re going to have to deal with,” said Mayor Harry Rilling Friday afternoon in a press conference near the accident site. The repair will be funded by federal dollars, assured U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. “We’re going to be demanding money to cover all of the costs, probably in the tens of millions of dollars, at least $20 million,” Blumenthal said. “We have every assurance that the Department of Transportation will provide this emergency relief.”
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He and the rest of the Connecticut Congressional delegation wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Friday, urging expedited federal assistance, including the "quick release of $3 million" to assist the state DOT with its initial response. To adjust to Norwalk’s new reality, Jim Travers, director of Norwalk’s Transportation, Mobility, and Parking Department, said the traffic signals on
Route 1 will be re-timed to accommodate the absence of the Fairfield Avenue overpass. Fairfield Avenue served as the city’s main connection from I-95 and South Norwalk to Connecticut Avenue. Now, drivers will be diverted to other overpasses such as Taylor Avenue and Scribner Avenue. As for this weekend, traffic in Norwalk is expected to remain heavy as trucks from I-95 must be diverted through the city and back onto the highway. Travers said the best advice he could give this weekend was to “stay off the roads” and utilize public transit. “We’ve all had to put our plans on hold, but that’s an opportunity to hang out in our neighborhoods,” said Melissa Murray, a member of Norwalk’s Common Council. The state and city are encouraging
all those who can to avoid I-95 to give the demolition crew time and space to complete their work. The process to rebuild is expected to take about a year, explained Garrett Eucalitto, Department of Transportation commissioner. Given the density of development around the bridge, this rebuild is not a candidate for an accelerated bridge construction method
that was used to replace an I-95 bridge in two weekends in Westport last fall. “There’s no real location to be able to build on site and roll it in, but we don’t expect disruption during the full rebuild,” Eucalitto said. “It could look like any other highway project where we just take a lane on either side to put the beams in place. Travers said his department will be working with the state DOT with the goal of replacing the bridge as soon as possible. “I think there’s a desire to have the bridge replaced as soon as possible,” Travers said. “The fact that we have plans from approximately 10 years ago is a good starting point.” Eucalitto explained the first step in replacing the bridge would be to build new support beams in the center median. DOT will likely need to close a lane or two when this process starts. Both Travers and Eucalitto said a way the public can help speed the process along is to be patient and stay away from I-95. “I need people to be patient and try to avoid the area,” Eucalitto said. The sheer cutting machine used to remove the bridge, coming from Long Island, New York, was delayed in traffic Friday. Once that machine arrives, Eucalitto said it would take approximately 24 hours to finish the demolition of the Fairfield Avenue overpass. CDOT’s goal is to open all lanes on I-95 by Monday morning.
