Businesses, Senior Center Evacuated Due to Gas Main Leak in South Brunswick

South Brunswick, NJ - A gas main leak that paralyzed traffic on Rt. 1 Tuesday morning also caused evacuations of several hundred people from nearby businesses and an assisted living home in South Brunswick.

The gas main ruptured at 9:50 a.m. near Deerpark Drive on Rt. 1 South, police said. Due to the threat of a possible gas explosion, several hundred people had to be evacuated from nearby businesses in the Deer Park commercial park, said Det. Dennis Yuhasz of the South Brunswick police. Most of the workers were sent home for the day. Police were preparing to evacuate the hundreds more residents and staff in the nearby Park Place assisted living senior care facility, but that's when PSE&G arrived and shut off the gas, he said.

"There was a faint smell of gas in the area," Det. Yuhasz said. "It was really helpful PSE&G arrived on the scene so fast because the logistics of evacuating the assisted living facility would have been difficult. But we were ready to do it."

Verizon crews doing some work near the Deerpark commercial park accidentally ruptured a gas line, he said. Police also shut down Rt. 1 in both directions between Ridge and Raymond roads.

PSE&G responded to the scene and stopped the leak as of 12 p.m., police told Patch. Repairs are now mainly focused in the area of Deerpark Drive. Both the north and south lanes of Route 1 are open as of 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.