Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut announced that they are cancelling classes for Friday, citing the traffic caused by a massive explosion on the I-95 highway Thursday.
The school district particularly cited the “ongoing traffic concerns and delays” as their rationale for this decision and also tweeted that “[a]ll practices are canceled THROUGH the weekend.” (RELATED: Collapsed Highway Kills At Least 48 People: REPORT)
Norwalk Public Schools will be closed on Friday, May 3 due to ongoing traffic concerns and delays.
The district will allow athletic games, drama performances and proms to take place. All practices are canceled.
— NorwalkPublicSchools (@NorwalkPS) May 2, 2024
A tractor-trailer carrying at least 8,500 gallons of gasoline become involved in a car crash on the highway, causing the explosion, News 8 Connecticut reported. This reportedly resulted in the gasoline igniting. The incident fortunately caused no serious injury or death but resulted in the highway being shut down by state authorities, the outlet reported. Connecticut State Police noted in a tweet Thursday that they “are currently unable to anticipate the duration of this closure” and advised the public to “seek alternate routes and plan for significant traffic delays.”
#CTTraffic Update: I-95 northbound and southbound in the area of Exit 15 in Norwalk will remain closed for an extended period of time. We are currently unable to anticipate the duration of this closure. Please seek alternate routes and plan for significant traffic delays.
— CT State Police (@CT_STATE_POLICE) May 2, 2024
Democratic Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont observed that the explosion caused “horrendous” traffic congestion for miles, the New York Post reported.
Demolition begins on I-95 bridge damaged in tanker fire, sparking traffic nightmare and closing schools https://t.co/eYdbfuSUKD pic.twitter.com/6u0EEx6Sz3
— New York Post (@nypost) May 3, 2024
Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto referred to the extensive damage caused by the explosion to a bridge, according to the New York Post. “This bridge is less than 10 years old … and the damage was pretty severe due to the amount of gasoline that was in the tanker ignited directly underneath the bridge structure. The steel did begin to overheat and warp,” Eucalitto reportedly said.