By John Schwing
WESTPORT — A fiery truck crash on Interstate 95 early Thursday in Norwalk, which shut down highway traffic in both directions, tied local Westport traffic in knots through midday … and counting.
It’s uncertain when the east-west traffic jams will ease since the highway may remain closed indefinitely because of infrastructure damage.
In a traffic advisory issued at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Westport police confirmed there is no certain time for I-95 to reopen.
“Traffic in Westport will remain extremely heavy through the evening commute, and most likely in the days to come,” according to the statement by police Lt. Eric Woods.
Traffic is being routed off I-95 at Exit 13 northbound in Darien and at exit 16 southbound in Norwalk to avoid the accident site, which took place close to Exit 15 in Norwalk.
Flames from the crash damaged a Norwalk bridge spanning the highway, causing the uncertainty over when traffic will be allowed to pass through the area again.
Meanwhile, drivers seeking alternate routes have clogged major corridors through Westport like the Post Road and Merritt Parkway all morning, and also spilled onto streets and roads through local neighborhoods.
As a result, school officials warned that morning bus pickups would be delayed, and since heavy traffic congestion persists this afternoon, the same advisory is in effect for the after-school bus runs.
Anticipating local roads will continue to be heavily congested for several days, Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice urges parents not to personally drop off and pick up students as a way to help limit disruptions to school schedules.
He suggests that students rely on transportation provided by the town’s fleet of school buses, which are obligated to run regardless.
In an email, Scarice wrote: “I encourage families to utilize the First View Bus Tracking App to assist in determining exact pick up and drop off times. This will help in managing schedules impacted by expected bus delays. Please follow this link for app access and instructions.”
Westport police said that, other than major traffic tie-ups, no serious problems had been reported by midday.
This unfortunate, nearly tragic accident which will divert I-95 traffic onto our local roads for up to five days is a window into a likely future for an over-developed Saugatuck, an increasingly targeted Greens Farms, and a more accessible East Norwalk.
The two hour and increasing wait on I-95 shows Westporters two things:
First: today’s crisis is why CTDOT has never altered their stand that a replacement for the Cribari Bridge must be able to carry all the traffic that can travel on I-95. CTDOT wants a feeder road from Exit 19 through Saugatuck… and then—following Rt. 136–to East Ave and Exit 16 in Norwalk. They have consistently echoed a now-outdated—philosophy of inducement planning since the initial proposals to build a high rise replacement in the 1960’s.
Second: the short-sighted folly of Westporters advocating for more commercial development in Saugatuck and a replacement bridge for our National Landmark William F. Cribari Bridge is apparent, at least as far as residential Westporters are concerned. What we experience as unusual today will be THIS plus all-the-trucks-standing-still-right-now and for the next five(!) days on I-95 with a replacement bridge for the future. Again this seems to be a long-hardened mindset, for some, based on an erroneous theory that promoting development and showing it through brutalist, concrete, Soviet style architecture is progress.
What is not apparent, but nonetheless real, with immediate effects on a large number of vulnerable Westporters, is air not fit to breathe.
According to the American Lung Association’s report card (released last week) our air rates as among the worst in the country. https://www.lung.org/research/sota/city-rankings/states/connecticut/fairfield
Bring diesel trucks onto our residential roads and you bring a big load of pollutants and toxic particles.
Added to Werner’s excellent points are the predictable 911 field arrival time delays and the protracted transport to hospital arrival intervals that often correlate with adverse outcomes for critical care medical and trauma patients.
The pressures to the system added by McHamlet density and traffic congestion in Saugatuck from routine I95 tie-ups (even without these obvious traffic nightmares) are not to be dismissed as paranoid hyperbole. It will become an increasingly dangerous Russian roulette situation unless properly evaluated and effectively mitigated with guaranteed emergency access.
Running hot with lights and sirens will not be the solution when there is nowhere for vehicles to go.