The day after a gasoline tanker fire damaged the Fairfield Avenue overpass at I-95 Exit 15 — causing closure of the highway perhaps until Monday, as workers dismantle the span — traffic in Westport was lighter than expected this morning.
It began picking up again, clogging the Post Road, this afternoon.
Perhaps drivers (including parents dropping off school children) heeded the many warnings to stay off the roads, earlier today.
Perhaps drivers heeded warnings — as far away as New York and Rhode Island — to find alternates to 95.
The closest other route is the Merritt Parkway. Everyone here knows that trucks are banned, due to numerous low bridges.
Unfortunately, not every truck driver knows what.
Or heeds the signs at entrances, and various spots on the highway.
Or uses the “truck” mode on their GPS.
This afternoon, Jo Shields Sherman was on the Merritt’s North Avenue overpass. Looking west, she was surprised to see very little traffic.
Standing on the North Avenue bridge and looking westward I was really surprised to see so little traffic.
Gazing in the other direction though, she saw 2 tractor-trailers on the shoulder of the westbound lane.
Cars tried to get around, creating a bottleneck.
But, she says, “a highway worker miraculously appeared, and took control. Both trucks made it under the higher middle portion of the bridge.
(Photo/Jo Shields Sherman)
“I was relieved they did, and glad to see the truck drivers had stopped, didn’t cause an accident, and didn’t catch fire.”
Kudos to the highway worker. Boos to the drivers who could have made a bad situation even worse.
Be careful out there!
(“06880” will continue to cover the I-95 cluster**** — and everything else Westport-related. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
We have Robert Moses to thank for the low bridges on our parkways. Moses did not want busses carrying Black people to Jones Beach, and by building the first parkway with low bridges he accomplished his goal–and set the pattern for subsequent “parkways”.
another truck hit the railroad bridge overpass the other week. should be mandatory CDL suspension and hefty fine for truckers that cant follow basics.