State police said traffic is starting to ease up in the area of the Baldwin Bridge, where earlier this afternoon a car fire snarled traffic on both sides of Interstate 95 between exits 66 and 70.

The car fire was first reported at 4:09 p.m. on the northbound side of I-95 between exits 69 and 70 and at one point forced all lanes of the northbound side and one lane of the southbound side shut down. The Department of Transportation had initially reported the backup to be caused by a multi-vehicle accident. At 5 p.m. the DOT reported congestion along a 3.3-mile stretch between exits 66 and 70.

Traffic also had slowed in the East Lyme area shortly after 4 p.m. when emergency crews responded to a multi-vehicle accident on the southbound side of I-95, between exits 73 and 72. That accident has since been cleared and police said no major injuries were reported.

Residual backups were continuing as of 6 p.m., and congestion spilled over onto back roads around the area of the incidents. One Day reporter said her usual 15-minute commute home took roughly 40 minutes due to the congestion.