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Gas Leak Snags Traffic Businesses Cut Off After Natural Gas Line Pierced

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

By Brandy Nance

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Kansas Department of Transportation workers pierced a natural gas line Monday while replacing pavement in the 5000 block of N.W. US- 24 highway across from the Payless ShoeSource Distribution Center.

The accident caused natural gas to blow into the air and resulted in gas service being shut off to four commercial customers in the area while the break was repaired.

The accident happened at about 9:30 a.m. Monday as KDOT workers hit a soft spot in the pavement and punctured a 4-inch gas line, said Gary Moulin, maintenance supervisor for the Topeka KDOT area. Moulin said there were no injuries, but traffic was blocked into the commercial complex on US-24 highway for about an hour as utility workers made repairs.

"The main thing is nobody got hurt, and we're ready to roll again," Moulin said.

Don Daugereau, duty officer for Shawnee County Fire District No. 1 in Silver Lake, said Engine No. 62 was dispatched at 10:10 a.m. to the scene to stand by and was back in the shop by 11:11 a.m. Daugereau said the standby is a standard procedure in case a fire were to start.

Diana Buechle, community relations manager for Kansas Gas Service in Topeka, said the four commercial clients who temporarily lost service were Payless ShoeSource Distribution Center, McCray Components, Southwest Publishing Warehouse and Shawnee Terminal Grain Elevator. She said property damage was limited to the gas line.

No evacuations were needed, she said, because the gas leak wasn't inside a building.

"We needed to shut off the lines to make repairs," Buechle said. "We did shut down traffic for about an hour into that area for safety reasons. There was some blowing gas."

The line was repaired and service to customers restored by Monday afternoon.

Brandy Nance can be reached

at (785) 295-1185 or brandy.nance@cjonline.com.

CREW HITS LINE

THAD ALLTON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Kansas Department of Transportation and Kansas Gas Service workers check on a natural gas line that was ruptured by a work crew Monday morning west of US-75 highway on US-24. Traffic was blocked for about an hour.

Source: Topeka Capital Journal

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