Following a catastrophic collision involving a tanker truck on Thursday morning, authorities said that a congested stretch of a key highway traversing New England will be blocked for a "prolonged period of time."

State and local police reported that a petroleum truck crashed and caught fire near Exit 15 in Norwalk, Connecticut, closing all southbound and northbound lanes on Interstate 95.

A photo shared by Norwalk police showed firefighters working to extinguish a massive blaze underneath the Fairfield Avenue overpass. Thick black smoke was also seen consuming the area.

“This will impact local roads throughout Norwalk for an extended period of time and will create heavy traffic delays,” Norwalk police said. “Please seek alternate routes and give yourself extra time to travel.”

Connecticut State Police added, “We are currently unable to anticipate the duration of this closure.”

#CTTraffic Update: I-95 northbound and southbound in the area of Exit 15 in Norwalk will remain closed for an extended period of time. We are currently unable to anticipate the duration of this closure. Please seek alternate routes and plan for significant traffic delays.

— CT State Police (@CT_STATE_POLICE) May 2, 2024

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced in a post on X that his team was aware of the situation and working with Connecticut DOT crews.

“Our highways team is working closely with Connecticut’s DOT on the tanker fire that has closed I-95 in Norwalk,” Buttigieg wrote. “Please heed local authorities on detours and avoid the area if possible. Thank you to the first responders who are dealing with the fire and keeping other drivers safe.”

Our highways team is working closely with Connecticut's DOT on the tanker fire that has closed I-95 in Norwalk. Please heed local authorities on detours and avoid the area if possible. Thank you to the first responders who are dealing with the fire and keeping other drivers safe.

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) May 2, 2024

There was no immediate word on injuries to those involved in the wreck.

The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately known.