What to Know
- Construction workers damaged the high-pressure gas line at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
- SR-163 was closed between Interstates 8 and 805 for more than six hours.
- 3,300 people and 1,100 homes within a half-mile radius were evacuated for hours until the leak was plugged around 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Utility workers restored full gas service to all residential customers Friday two days after a gas leak shut down State Route 163, closed at least 80 businesses and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people.
Construction crews working on a road widening project ripped open a major gas line around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
An estimated 3,300 people in nearby homes and businesses had to be evacuated, and a forced closure of State Route 163 added hours to evening commuters' trips.
A subcontractor working on behalf of Flatiron Construction struck the underground, 20-inch gas line in the area along Friars Road and Ulric Street.
An horizontal-drilling auger damaged the line, and it remained lodged in the punctured line restricting the flow of gas, according to an SDG&E spokesperson.
Eighty businesses were affected near Fashion Valley Mall. Most of them were restaurants.
Local
The strong smell of gas permeated the air, so businesses close to both sides of the freeway were evacuated and closed down, according to SDFD.
San Diego Gas & Electric officials shut off gas service to more than 900 residential customers so they could investigate the incident and repair the line.
Crews worked through the night to restore service to all affected customers before sunrise on Friday.
SDG&E is looking into the age of the gas line and other details.
