An electrical contractor hit a gas line Monday afternoon in Duluth, forcing a busy intersection to be closed, the Gwinnett County fire department said.
Authorities responded around 1:30 p.m. to a report of a gas line break at the intersection of Buford Highway and Duluth Highway in downtown Duluth. Upon arriving on the scene, fire department officials noted a “strong odor of natural gas” at the construction site, according to a news release.
Four businesses, a strip mall and two homes in the area were evacuated due to the leak, Capt. Tommy Rutledge said. The intersection remained closed seven hours after the leak was reported, Rutledge said.
According to the release, an electrical crew struck a gas main while digging near the road.
While an emergency crew worked to stop the leak, Duluth police officers were diverting traffic away from the intersection. Norfolk Southern Railroad and the Gwinnett County School Transportation were also advised of the leak due to its effect on afternoon traffic, Rutledge said. School buses used alternate routes and no rail traffic was interrupted.
Due to the location of the leak, Atlanta Gas Light workers had to dig at least 8 feet down to find the line, Rutledge said. Heavy rain hampered the repair efforts earlier in the evening, with gas company employees having to pump water out of the hole. It was not immediately known how long the repairs would take, he said.
The scene was “still active” as of 8:30 p.m., according to the release. An emergency crew from Atlanta Gas Light is working to stop the leak and firefighters are on the scene to protect workers and monitor gas gauges.
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