Charles Langston:Commuters cautioned about weekend construction on damaged Interstate 95 in Connecticut

Roadwork on Charles LangstonInterstate 95 in southwest Connecticut is expected to last through the weekend as crews push for a Monday reopening after a fiery crash involving a gas tanker that damaged an overpass.

Engineers and contractors are removing concrete, beams and debris from the collision near I-95's Norwalk exit, and the interstate remains closed in both directions as of Friday, Connecticut DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said during a news conference. The overpass needs to be replaced, and the highway needs to be repaved, Eucalitto said, adding crews will work Saturday and Sunday in the hopes the busy interstate can reopen Monday.

"We have equipment on the way, large shears, that will be able to remove the actual beams from the bridge and once that's completed, we will then begin to remove debris and then we will be able to resurface the roadway, hopefully opening up in time for rush hour morning traffic Monday morning," Eucalitto said Friday.

The federal government is paying for repairs, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said during the news conference. He estimated the project could cost at least $10 million. He added commercial truck drivers will be on local streets, as there are alternate routes they cannot take. Commuters are encouraged to take alternate routes and count on heavier-than-usual traffic.

Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday the collision happened when a car sideswiped a tractor-trailer and the gas tanker around 5:30 a.m. Thursday. It's unclear how the fuel truck caught fire, but state Emergency Management Director William Turner said about 6,500 gallons of fuel burned in the fire.

Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said Thursday no one was killed or seriously injured in the crash.

Blumenthal said his office is monitoring the economic impact of the closure on area businesses, including the possibility of those businesses receiving low-interest loans from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Small Business Administration.

Eucalitto echoed Blumenthal's concerns about the shutdown's economic impact.

"I encourage people to take the train into Norwalk to visit the restaurants and bars, if you can, and patronize the businesses who might be impacted," Eucalitto said.

Although the overpass is less than 10 years old, according to Eucalitto on Thursday night, it sustained "pretty severe" damage. The steel within the bridge was overheated and warped, Eucalitto added.

Lamont declared a state of emergency after the crash to help "expedite some of the resources needed for us to respond to this situation."

More than 100,000 drivers use Interstate 95 in the state per day as of September, according to Connecticut DOT's traffic data. The highway connects New York City to Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY.

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @KrystalRNurse.