Gas line cut near busy Columbia road and people nearby asked to shelter in place
A gas line was cut on a busy Richland County road Wednesday morning and people nearby have been asked to shelter in place, the Columbia Fire Department said.
A construction crew hit the line, causing the break, fire department spokesman Mike DeSumma told The State. The third-party contractor was performing excavation work when it damaged the natural gas lines at about 8 a.m., Dominion Energy spokeswoman Ashley Cunningham said on Twitter.
No injuries were reported, DeSumma said. But a stretch of the road has been closed as repairs are being made.
The section of Hardscrabble Road between Clemson Road and North Brickyard Road was closed, according to the fire department. That’s in northeast Richland County, between Interstate 77 and the Village at Sandhill shopping center.
There was no word when the road would be reopened, or when the people who live and work in the area would again be able to move freely.
Crews from Dominion Energy are on the scene, and repairs are expected to take several hours, DeSumma said.
“Safety is our highest priority,” Cunningham tweeted. “Crews are on-site and will remain until all repairs are complete.”
Drivers were told to seek alternative routes.
At about 12:45 p.m., the fire department said Dominion crews cut off the leak and traffic resumed in both directions on Hardscrabble Road.
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This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 9:58 AM.
