Big rig carrying butter crashes on Merritt Parkway in Greenwich

GREENWICH (WABC) -- A tractor-trailer carrying butter crashed into an overpass and caught fire on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut, snarling traffic in the area for hours on Tuesday.

The accident happened at the King Street Bridge in Greenwich, near the New York/Connecticut state line where the Hutchinson River Parkway transitions to the Merritt, just before noon.

The Hutch was shut northbound, with Westchester County police diverting traffic at exit 30.

Greenwich police opened Glen Ridge Road to allow access to Route 15 North.

The southbound lanes of the Merritt were moving, but the northbound lanes remained closed most of the day, reopening shortly after 6:30 p.m.

Tractor-trailers are not supposed to be on the roadway.

There are no reports of any injuries, but the truck was completely destroyed.

Authorities said there was a lot of debris in the road under and around the bridge area that had to be cleaned up before the parkway could be fully reopened.

According to Westchester County Police, the tractor-trailer entered the Hutch from I-287.

The driver, who is from Florida, said he was using Google maps directions from his phone. Police say truckers should be using a commercial grade GPS program, not the type of GPS program or device that someone driving a car would use.

Police also say the driver 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, according to police.

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