Darien Public Schools To Operate Under 2-Hour Delayed Opening Friday

DARIEN, CT — Darien Public Schools will operate under a two-hour delayed opening on Friday, May 3, due to the ongoing closure of Interstate-95.

Superintendent Dr. Alan Addley said the crash and subsequent closure of the highway Thursday morning impacted the commute for some bus drivers and staff members.

"Tomorrow, Friday, May 3, will be a 2 hour delayed opening to give the staff and bus drivers’ sufficient time to manage the morning commute," Addley said in a note to the community. "We fully expect to open school on time Monday morning."

Read also: Bridge Damaged By Fuel Truck Crash On I-95 To Be Replaced: UPDATE

A fiery crash involving a fuel truck, a tractor trailer and a car occurred early Thursday morning on I-95 in Norwalk that resulted in the closing of the highway in both directions, causing major traffic jams in the area.

On Thursday evening, Gov. Ned Lamont said heat from the burning fuel compromised parts of the bridge above the crash and it will need to come down.

Demolition of the bridge, located near Exit 15 in Norwalk, is scheduled to begin Friday morning around 3 a.m., according to Lamont.

Lamont said lifting the bridge out would likely take 24 hours, possibly a little longer, after which workers will take a second look at repaving and making sure the road is safe and secure.

"If all goes well, and I'll monitor this, we should have two-way commuting back on I-95 as early as Monday morning," Lamont said, "which is heroic work."

The Darien Police Department said traffic will be detoured southbound off Exit 15 and northbound off Exit 14 this weekend.

"DPD recommends avoiding unnecessary travel throughout our area for the next several days and to allow for extra time to get to destinations if you need to be on the roads," police said in a social media post.

— This post contains previous reporting from Patch editor RJ Scofield