Accident closes part of Route 69

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PROSPECT — Route 69 was closed between Route 68 and Center Street Tuesday afternoon after a flatbed tractor-trailer struck a utility pole.

At about 1:30 p.m., the truck was heading east on Route 68 toward Cheshire, as it turned onto Route 69 toward New Haven it clipped the pole in front of the Mobil gas station, said Mayor Robert Chatfield, who was on scene.

The tractor-trailer was carrying steel beams, which were covered by a tarp. As a wide load, it was accompanied by two state police cars and an escort vehicle.

The utility pole cracked, displacing wires and forcing officials to close the section of Route 69. It took several hours to repair the pole.

“There’s every kind of wire you can think of and then some,” Chatfield said.

No one was injured. Although the crash itself didn’t cause a power outage, Eversource had to cut power to the lines before the repair.

Chatfield sent out a Code Red alert to Prospect’s roughly 6,000 households warning them of the closure.

Route 69 was closed between Route 68 and Center Street through rush hour, causing significant delays.

Buses and parents picking up their children from schools in the area had to follow a detour.

Route 69 and Route 68 are already experiencing more traffic than usual because of motorists trying to avoid the Interstate 84 construction project.