UPDATE: Riverside Detour Continues As Utility Pole is Replaced

Update: 10:30 a.m.

Greenwich Police have issued this update regarding the continuing detour in Riverside as crews work to replace a utility pole.

“Eversource workers have restored power to all customers except for the two customers connected to the damaged utility pole. The utility pole is owned and maintained by Frontier Communications. Frontier has an emergency repair crew responding to replace the pole. The highly experienced on-site Eversource foreman relates: the repair will take several hours after the arrival of the pole. The best estimate is that the repair work will take until at least the late afternoon or early evening depending on availability of a new utility pole.

During the repair process, two-way traffic will be maintained with one lane closed for construction vehicles to stage their equipment and work. There will be occasional total road closures on Riverside Avenue in the area of Buxton Lane during the repair process to ensure the safety of the public and the utility workers. All pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle traffic should avoid the area until tonight to minimize any traveling inconvenience.”

Update: 8:20 a.m.

Eversource reports that the Friday morning power outage in Riverside was caused by downed power lines.

The “cause is not a transformer fire,” Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross wrote in an email.

“The 166 outages are (due) to a line that came down at that location on Riverside Avenue. We are currently making repairs and will have those customers back on as quickly as we can.”

Greenwich Police said drivers headed Eastern Middle and Riverside Schools as well as the Riverside train station will need to seek alternate routes as Riverside Avenue is closed between East Putnam and Lockwood avenues.

Original story: 7:35 a.m.

A transformer fire about 7 a.m. Friday has prompted the closure of Riverside Avenue between East Putnam Avenue and Lockwood Avenue.

Greenwich Police Lt. Kraig Gray said, “This is a major school bus route and major route to the (Riverside) train station. This will definitely affect the morning commute. Drivers should use alternate routes.”

• To sign up for breaking Greenwich news alerts and more, click here.

Crews from Eversource are on the scene making repairs, Gray said. “The road closure is in effect for an unknown length of time.”

Eversource reports that there are 166 customers without power in Greenwich as of 7:30 a.m., however, it is not immediately known whether those outages are related to the transformer fire.

Photo credit: Greenwich Fire Department.