Posted on 03/26/2004 4:01:48 PM PST by RaceBannon
Security increased as terror threat targets I-95 Email to a Friend Printer Friendly Version
BRIDGEPORT -- A terror threat targets Connecticut's busiest stretch of highway, the Interstate-95 corridor in Bridgeport. State police began stepping up security in the area Thursday.
The response is a coordinated effort between local and state police, the Coast Guard, and Homeland Security.
People taking the port Jefferson ferry to long island underwent police checks of vehicles at the docks today.
One of the more visible signs of the increased security measures put into place after authorities received information that Bridgeport could be targeted.
"It's nerve-wracking .. .you see police, and all that's going on, you often wonder," said Long Island resident Timothy Smith.
"What we've done now because of the alerts we've increased police to 24 hours, seven days a week," says Joseph Savino the Harbormaster. "Matter of fact, we just got back to the dock. We were out on patrol."
the alert appears to involve the stretch of I-95 that skirts the city, an area that includes the ferry terminal. The I-95 bridge over the harbor and the Metro North tracks that run parallel to the highway.
"It began with homeland security in Washington obtaining intelligence information and passing it to Connecticut," says State Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Vance. "In this day and age, all intelligence is taken seriously and passed on to law enforcement agencies that it might affect."
State police stress that the intelligence in this situation is both non-specific and unsubstantiated, but is taken very seriously -- hence the increased security.
Measures people seem willing to put up with for the peace of mind it affords them.
"Better the security here than to have a problem when we're out in the middle of Long Island sound on a boat," says Robert Mancuso.
Can't speak to NJ, but I've been in the control room for the Mercer Island (WA) tunnel. Their systems are set to dump a LOT of foam to fight any such fire, so such an attempt in that tunnel, or the nearby Mount Baker tunnel in Seattle, wouldn't go far.
And no, "flammable materials" aren't allowed there (like that rule would stop a jihadi).
ROTFL! I am just cracking up here! Never heard this one before, did you create it?
Interesting, today we had two of the three bridges to NJ from Staten Island closed by accidents. One, on the Goethals Bridge, involved 4 trucks, one a chemical tanker. The bridge was(may still be partially) closed for hours. The Outer Bridge Crossing, I didn't hear many details on the accident, but it was a much shorter closing.
The third bridge to Jersey is the Bayonne Bridge, and that is no fast escape. From there there are several more mostly smaller bridges on any evacuation route.
I'm heading to the marina myself. ;-)
Looks like I go the Rte. 64 West to 81 North (up the Shenandoah Valley) to 84 East in Scranton, PA to Harford to Rte. 91 North route (600 miles)......NOT the 29 North -> 66 East -> 95 North (DC, Baltimore, Joysee Pike, Cross Bronx Expy., Southern Conn.) -> 91 North (500 miles).
ROTFL! I am just cracking up here! Never heard this one before, did you create it?
I only wish I had that much wit.
If I remember it was an old FR thread, 2-4 years ago, about how some paliterrorists blew themselves to their eternal punishment while trying to build a bomb.
I think its a good recommendation, and if I am ever stopped its what I intend to do. I'm sure the officer would rather know up front than be surprised.
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/nyc-ct95032,0,4901097.story?coll=nyc-regionhome-headlines
I-95 section may be closed 2 weeks
The Associated Press
March 26, 2004, 5:29 PM EST
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- It will take millions of dollars and two weeks or more to reopen a section of Interstate 95 — the main highway linking New York and Boston — following a fiery accident that destroyed part of an overpass, Gov. John G. Rowland said Friday.
(snip)The southbound side of the overpass sagged several feet and must be torn down. Engineers were assessing the northbound lanes to see if they could still be used. The state of New York is offering Connecticut a prefabricated temporary bridge to replace a section of the overpass, but it will be two or three days before it arrives, Rowland said.
If the northbound lanes can be saved, the temporary span will be used on the southbound side. If the entire overpass must be torn down, the temporary bridge will be used to replace the northbound lanes. Engineers would then use fill to span the gap between the highway and Howard Avenue below, and temporary southbound lanes would be built on top of that fill.
Workers began demolishing the damaged section of the bridge Friday. Rowland said he hoped to have the northbound side of the highway reopened sometime next week.
"Keep your fingers crossed, and we'll do the best we can," he said.
Diverting southbound traffic into the northbound lanes is not an option because traffic in the area is too heavy, said Art Gruhn, chief engineer for state Department of Transportation.
Southbound traffic was detoured to Route 25 and the Merritt Parkway, a historic highway that is closed to commercial truck traffic. Trucks trying to use the Merritt were being stopped by police and sent to Route 8 and Interstate 84.
Northbound cars and trucks were being rerouted through the streets of Bridgeport and Fairfield and back onto Interstate 95.
(snip)The accident occurred at about 8 p.m. Thursday as Gilbert Robinson, 33, of Naugatuck was driving his tanker truck south on I-95. State police said the truck was trying to avoid a car driven by Sarah Waddle of Derby.
Waddle said Friday she was not injured but was still sorting out how she felt.
"I don't know, I'm just thinking it doesn't feel like I've been in an accident," she said.
the fact that the truck ripped open and caught fire -- it didn't explode; kerosene doesn't explode unless in a vapor -- and did so on an overpass causing the highway to be closed (which wouldn't have been the case anywhere else on 95) the very next day does raise eyebrows, yeppers. now the question is: if this is some terrorist event, what is the other shoe that will drop?
(New York-WABC, March 26, 2004) — Three tractor trailers and a dump truck collided on the Goethals Bridge Friday afternoon - killing one person.
The bridge remains shut down.
What is holding everything up is one of the trucks involved in the accident is carrying liquid oxygen. The container is still intact, but rescue officials tell us the truck is in a very precarious position.
Family lives on LI - worry about them.
What body? This one: Body Washes Up On Beach, Police Suspect Foul Play
The first I heard of it was from you and I did a Google News search. That's 1300-1400 miles from NYC, I don't think there is any connection with the trucks on the bridge. ;-)
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