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The stretch of Route 136 in Fairfield is closed this morning for several hours after an excavator being loaded onto a trailer tipped over into a ditch sometime after 9 a.m.
There were no injuries in the incident, according to Fairfield police.
The road has been closed to facilitate removal of the construction equipment.
UPDATE, 11:30 a.m.: Congestion is all clear.
UPDATE, 10:38 a.m.: There is heavy congestion on I-95 Southbound in Fairfield because of a tractor trailer fire in the right lane between exits 20 and 19.
The congestion is from exits 24 to 19.
The DOT says that the fire was extinguished by around 10:35 a.m., but the congestion remains. The right lane is closed.
10:25 a.m.: Tractor trailer fire in the right lane of I-95 south in Fairfield near exit 20.
UPDATE, 7:30 p.m.: Vehicle vs. motorcycle on I-95 SB between Exits 18 and 17 in Westport. The left lane is closed.
UPDATE, 5:25 p.m.: Two-vehicle accident on I-95 southbound between Exits 7 and 6 in Stamford. The left lane is closed.
UPDATE, 9:36 a.m.: DOT officials say the previously reported congestion on I-84E has cleared up, between Exits 23 and 25 in Waterbury.
UPDATE, 8:56 a.m.: The previously mentioned police activity on I-84W near Exit 9 in Newtown turned out to be a downed tree branch, which forced authorities to shut down the right lane.
To complicate matters further, there were two multi-car crashes nearby – one near Exit 14 and another accident between Exits 11 and 10 – both of which appear to be minor.
Still, it appears that traffic is picking up again.
8:45 a.m.: Watch out for delays on Metro-North heading into Grand Central, there is a disabled train near the Harlem 125th Street stop. The delays are from 10 to 15 minutes.
UPDATE, 8:27 a.m.: Now it appears that a two-car accident between Exits 11 and 10 in Newtown is leading to the westbound delays in that area.
UPDATE, 8:18 a.m.: Look out for delays up and down I-84. First, westbound traffic is backed due to as-yet-undetermined police activity between Exits 9 and 8 in Newtown. The right lane is closed for the time being.
Meanwhile, eastbound commuters are also encountering traffic in Waterbury, between Exits 23 and 25.
Here is proof of both:
CCTV# 152 Newtown EB E/O Exit 9 – Tunnel Road
CCTV# 140 Waterbury EB W/O Exit 23 – S. Main Street
CCTV# 150 Waterbury EB W/O Exit 25 – Route 69 (Hamilton Avenue)
UPDATE, 7:52 a.m.: In addition to the congestion from Fairfield to Darien on I-95 south, there is congestion on the Merritt Parkway south in Fairfield from exits 48 to 44.
UPDATE, 7:35 a.m.: Congestion in Darien on I-95 south from exits 16 to 11. Up a bit on I-95, there is congestion in Bridgeport from exits 27 to 20.
UPDATE, 6:20 a.m.: Check that. The Farmington crash has been cleared.
6:17 a.m.: Good morning! Traffic throughout the Greater Danbury area is flowing as well as can be expected this morning. If, however, you’re traveling into Hartford you may encounter some resistance on I-84E, due to an accident between Exits 39A and 40 in Farmington.
The single-car crash occurred about 5:45 a.m. and it’s expected to take officials two hours to clear it completely.
This photo taken by The Advocate's Kathleen O'Rourke shows the first of the state's sets of M-8 rail cars leaving Stamford station on March 1. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Tuesday that a third set of rail cars has gone into service.
Just got this release from Gov. Dannel Malloy:
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Metro-North Railroad (MNR) today announced that a third set of M-8 rail cars was put into service this morning, bringing to 130 the number of train runs operating with the new cars each week. A total of 26 new M-8s have now been accepted from Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc., and put into service on the New Haven Line.
Today’s new M-8 train left New Haven at 8:04 a.m. and arrived at Grand Central Terminal in New York City at 9:36 a.m.
“This is a significant milestone. More and more commuters are seeing the benefits and enjoying the amenities of these new cars each week,” Governor Malloy said. “Connecticut is investing heavily in rail improvements. I believe that this is the best possible way to encourage commuters to stop driving to work alone and start using our ever-improving mass transit system.”
“The M-8s are arriving, passing inspection and being placed into service as quickly as we can make it happen,” said Acting DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker. “The new cars have received overwhelmingly positive customer feedback. I encourage commuters to monitor the progress of M-8 cars on the Department or Metro-North websites.”
Of the 380 M-8s now on order, the first 38 are being built in Kobe, Japan, and the remaining 342 are being built at Kawasaki’s plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. Under the current production schedule, 60 M-8s are expected to be in service by the end of 2011.
“We are making progress with the third train going into service and the Lincoln plant in full production. We are looking forward to receiving additional cars in the fall,” said Howard Permut, president of Metro-North Railroad.
Customers will have 130 weekly trains in service with the new three M-8 train sets (approximately 95 weekday and 36 on weekends). These trains operate during peak and off-peak service between New Haven and Grand Central. Twenty-two M-8s are available for revenue service deployed in three train sets — two eight-car train sets and one six-car train set with four spare cars for routine maintenance.
DOT and MNR will also be testing bicycle hooks for use on the M-8 rail fleet later this year. The final two designs have been selected and will be fabricated by SportsWork, Inc. Installation and testing will begin in late summer in New York and Connecticut, as well as in-service testing on off-peak trains. More information will be available in the coming months.
UPDATE, 11:30 a.m.: An accident, involving a car ramming into a utility pole, has shut down Nabby Road in Brookfield, from Belden Hill Road to Candlewood Lake Road. Follow the developing story here.
UPDATE, 8:52 a.m.: That was fast. Officials have already cleared the single-car accident on I-84W in Plainville.
UPDATE, 8:20 a.m.: This one’s a ways away, but officials are reporting that there’s been an accident on I-84W, between Exits 33 and 32 in Plainville.
The right lane has been closed, though officials expect the crash to be cleared in under an hour.
Here’s a shot from a nearby DOT traffic camera:
CCTV# 57 Plainville EB Exit 34 – Woodford Avenue
UPDATE, 7:51 a.m.: In what is quickly becoming one of life’s inevitabilities, traffic is once again backed up along I-84W, between Exits 23 and 25 in Waterbury.
Over on the Merritt, there is congestion in Darien from exits 15 to 13.
UPDATE, 6:41 a.m.: A brief shower just passed through Danbury so the roads in and around the city may be slick. Take care as you set out on your morning commute.
UPDATE, 5:58 a.m.: Things are off to a good this morning, as traffic is flowing smoothly throughout the Danbury area and there have been no reported crashes.
ORIGINAL POST, 5:15 a.m.: Happy Flag Day everyone. … Unlike yesterday, not a ton going on on the roadways early this morning.
There’s some early rain in central Connecticut, but both the western and eastern parts of the state are dry as the morning commute gets going.
Metro-North trains are on or close to on schedule to start the day.
You can follow the open thread; check out our traffic map; watch the traffic cameras over at WTNH.com; and follow both Hearst’s newspaper accounts and WTNH’s Teresa LaBarbera on Twitter.
UPDATE, 1:15 p.m.: Click here for the story on the car fire. Everything is now clear and the ramp should be reopened shortly.
UPDATE, 12:45 p.m.: Here are a few photos with fire department on the scene. The fire looks to be out.
UPDATE, 12:40 p.m.: The fire department on the scene is reporting that there are no injuries, medics are not necessary.
12:35 p.m.: The Bridgeport fire department and state police are on the scene of a car fire in the exit 28 northbound off ramp. A pickup truck is burning at the top of the ramp. The fire department is reporting that they have begun to put it out. Traffic is being prevented from using the ramp.
Here are a few photos from the DOT cameras:
UPDATE, 12:56 p.m.: Traffic is still heavily congested in both directions of I-95 around Norwalk. The congestion northbound begins in Stamford at exit 9 and lasts up to the crash at exit 17.The left lane is closed between exits 15 and 17.
The southbound congestion starts at exit 21 and 16. The left lane is closed as the truck hangs into it.
UPDATE, 11:45 a.m.: I-95 northbound now congested from exits 12 to 17 because of the tractor-trailer crash. The left lane of the highway is closed between exits 16 and 17.
Original: Congestion is building on I-95 north after a tractor trailer jackknifed between exits 16 and 17 in Norwalk.
The tractor trailer is visible in this DOT camera image from WTNH:
UPDATE, 8:52 a.m.: Order has been restored along the major roadways in the Danbury area. All accidents have been cleared and traffic is once again moving along at a steady clip.
UPDATE, 8:27 a.m.: Avoid the Parkway all the way from Trumbull to New Canaan if you can.I-95 South is moving much better this morning, while the Merritt is a mess.
UPDATE, 8:02 a.m.: Heavy delays on the Merritt Parkway South starting at exit 52 and lasting all the way down to exit 37 in New Canaan. The heaviest area is from Fairfield into Westport.
UPDATE, 7:37 a.m.: Watch for delays on I-84E in Waterbury, between Exits 23 and 25.
Here’s a look at what you’re up against:
CCTV# 150 Waterbury EB W/O Exit 25 – Route 69 (Hamilton Avenue)
UPDATE, 7:06 a.m.: The tanker crash and methanol spill on I-95 Northbound in Stamford between exits 6 and 9 is now clear and all lanes are open on both sides of the highway. Expect delays for a short while, so the Merritt Parkway may still be your best bet until I-95 gets back to normal.
Click here for our story on the crash, including photos from the scene.
UPDATE, 7:05 a.m.: The accident on I-84W in Plainville has been cleared, and traffic is once again moving along, unimpeded.
UPDATE, 6:47 a.m.: Traffic is still flowing right along in the Danbury area, however there is trouble brewing further down I-84 in Plainville as an accident has shut down the left and center westbound lanes, between Exits 33 and 32.
Below is a look at the crash, and the resulting traffic congestion. As you can tell from the traffic camera, an ambulance appears to be on scene.
CCTV# 57 Plainville EB Exit 34 – Woodford Avenue
CCTV# 55 Plainville Exit 33 – Crooked Street
CCTV# 56 Plainville WB W/O Exit 33 – Route 72 EB
UPDATE, 6:02 a.m.: It’s been smooth sailing so far along the major roadways in Greater Danbury. The state Department of Transportation has not reported any accidents or congestion in the area.
POST STARTED, 5:25 a.m.: Good morning, southwestern Connecticut!
Stay tuned for updates throughout the morning on a developing situation on I-95 northbound in Stamford, where a tanker truck has crash has caused state police and the DOT to close all northbound lanes between exits 6 and 9. The crash took place between exits 7 and 8. In addition to all northbound lanes, one southbound lane is closed.
Northbound traffic is backed up all the way to the state line in Greenwich, and the backup is likely to stretch back into Westchester County in the next half hour.
If you have the option of using the Merritt Parkway, that’s the way to go. Otherwise you’ll be forced off 95 at exit 6 and can use state street or Route 1 to navigate northbound until you reach exit 9.
Expect delays on local roads and flow-over delays on the Parkway near Stamford indefinitely while officials work to clear the tanker crash.
Elsewhere in the region, it’s a fairly smooth ride so far, and Metro-North trains are on or close to on schedule.
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