Natural Gas Leak Snarls Traffic on Sugarloaf Parkway

Updated

A natural gas leak closed a portion of a major roadway for than four hours Thursday afternoon near Lawrenceville.

Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in media updates that crews responded to the area of Sugarloaf Parkway and Five Forks Trickum Road around 3:15 p.m. after a report that a construction crew hit a gas line near the roadway. Rutledge said a utility crew struck a 4-inch gas line while boring under the road to install fiber optic cable.

Around 25 people were evacuated from four area businesses and both sides of Sugarloaf Parkway were closed between Five Forks Trickum and Johnson roads, Rutledge said.

The gas leak was stopped at 7:30 p.m. and the parkway was reopened shortly after 8 p.m.

“Crews from Atlanta Gas Light and the City of Lawrenceville Gas worked together to locate and stop the gas leak,” Rutledge said. “Firefighters continuously monitored gas readings in the area until the leak was brought under control and the hazard level was mitigated.”

There were no reported injuries.

Photos: Courtesy Gwinnett Fire PIO)