Truck Fire Closes Northbound Merritt at NY Border for Almost 7 Hours Tuesday

Update 9:01 p.m.:

Westchester County Police report the parkway was reopened at 6:50 p.m.

Update 5:46 p.m.:

The tractor trailer truck and fire on the Greenwich/Rye Brook border where the Hutchinson River Parkway merges into the Merritt Parkway continues to be a driver’s nightmare for the Tuesday evening commute.

The northbound lanes are still closed as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. Northbound traffic is being directed up the exit ramp at King Street and back down the entrance ramp on the other side in Greenwich. “ We recommend commuters to avoid the area during this evening’s rush hour period,” Westchester County Police Department spokesman Kieran O’Leary said. It’s not known when the debris will be cleared and the road reopened. According to some reports, northbound traffic is backup to the Cross County Parkway.

The crash occurred about 11:20 a.m. when the truck hauling butter smashed into the King Street overpass, continued on the highway into Greenwich and burst into flames. “The crash happened in Westchester and we’re left with the aftermath and cleanup,” said Greenwich Police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray. O’Leary said charges will be lodged against the driver, whose identity has not been released.

Here is how O’Leary described the situation at 5 p.m.

“There is still a lot of debris in the road under and around the bridge area that is being cleaned up before for the parkway can be fully reopened

“The tractor-trailer entered the Hutch from I-287; the driver, who is from Florida, says he was using Google maps directions from his phone. This is a common problem for us with bridge strikes. Truckers should be using a commercial grade GPS program, not the type of GPS program or device that someone driving a car would use. In any event, this driver also would have driven past several signs that say No Trucks or Passenger Cars Only. In addition, there are pavement markings that say NO TRUCKS LOW BRIDGE painted right on the roadway and entrance ramps.

“The driver will be issued multiple summonses in connection with the incident. Common summonses are for having a restricted vehicle on the parkway (any kind of commercial vehicle); having an over-height vehicle on the parkway (too tall) and failure to obey a traffic control device (passing all the signs that say No Trucks or Passenger Cars only)

“In addition, Westchester County will seek reimbursement from the trucking company or its insurance company for related costs such as police overtime associated with the incident.

“It can also cost the trucking company or its insurer an average of $12,000 to $25,000 for other costs such as hiring a private tow company to haul away a damaged tractor and trailer(s), and for the people and equipment (like forklifts) needed to off-load cargo on to other trucks.

“A bridge engineer from the state of New York will decide whether the bridge was compromised in any way.”

Original article:

“Northbound” (actually eastbound) traffic on the Merritt Parkway has been completely blocked for hours, as of 4:10 p.m., after a truck got on the cars-only highway and caught fire late Tuesday morning.

As of 1 p.m., Greenwich police were suggesting that drivers avoid using the Merritt if going northbound by the New York state line. Southbound traffic continues, but it’s unusually slow.

The Westchester County Police Department has diverted traffic at the Hutchinson River Parkway Exit 30 onto North Ridge Street. Greenwich Police have reopened Glen Ridge Road to allow access to the northbound Merritt from King Street (Exit 27).

A tractor trailer carrying butter and margarine hit the King Street overpass (at the border) and caught fire at about 11:20 p.m. Tuesday. The remains of the truck look like the thing exploded, one passing driver said late this afternoon.

This report is adapted from a report on Greenwich Patch by Editor Barbara Heins and which may have more updated information.

Photo: the tractor trailer fire that has shutdown the Merritt Parkway Tuesday, Oct. 28. Credit: Greenwich Fire Department via Twitter.