Traffic along Interstate 95 and nearby roads in Connecticut was more clogged than usual Monday as about 30,000 commuters who would usually ride commuter rail drove instead, the Associated Press reported.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation said the Monday morning commute was bad, but not as bad as officials thought it would be, AP reported.
Michael Riley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, warned truckers to stay away from I-95 during the day until commuter rail service is restored, which might not be until next week.
“To the extent that people can go at night, they ought to go at night,” Riley said. “Otherwise, come up through [Interstate] 84 through the state, because 95 is going to be a parking lot.”
Riley said he expected the increase traffic from commuters to snarl freight movement throughout New England. The upcoming Memorial Day weekend will only add to the chaos, he said.
“It may be a week of hell for us,” Riley said.
At a Sunday press conference, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) similarly told residents to brace for a week of delays.
Metro-North Railroad, which parallels I-95 from the southern coast of Connecticut to New York City, remained closed after a weekend commuter rail crash that injured at least 72 people.
Construction crews still have to clear train cars and repair about 2,000 feet of track, wires and signals at the crash site near Bridgeport, Conn.
