DEVELOPING STORY: Gas Leak Shuts Route 61, Some Saint Clair Businesses Forced to Close

5 AM UPDATE (THURSDAY): At about 5 a.m. Thursday, the gas main was put back into service and UGI began the process of relighting customers affected by Wednesday’s gas leak, according to Rich Stahovich, spokesperson at UGI.

5 PM UPDATE: According to Rich Stahovich at UGI, the main gas line has been shut off to stop the blowing gas. Both lanes of Route 61 have been reopened for traffic.

UGI crews will continue to make repairs on the main gas line through the evening until it’s safe to purge that line and then reintroduce gas and reconnect customers. Stahovich said it’ll be closer to midnight until customers are reconnected.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW:

A gas leak has closed Route 61 in both directions just north of the Coal Creek Commerce Center in Saint Clair.

According to Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management, a UGI gas line is currently leaking. There is no time frame, as of right now, for an end to the situation. 

UGI crews are currently on the scene in great numbers working to fix the gas leak. Not only are crews at the scene north of Coal Creek Commerce Center, we spotted another crew working at Route 61 and W. Hancock St. in Saint Clair.

Rich Stahovich, a UGI spokesperson, tells The Canary that shortly before 8 a.m., a road contractor hit a gas line on the southbound side of the highway, causing the massive leak. He’s unsure if the line was marked or if a PA One Call call was placed prior to digging in that location.

Stahovich said 17 customers have been affected by the incident and he believes all are commercial customers in the area.

As of 2:20 p.m., the leaking gas line has not been shut down. He said UGI is working to determine the “best, quickest and safest way to shut down the line.”

After that happens, gas is purged from the line and then safely reintroduced before customers are re-lit.

Stahovich does not have a timeline of when that will happen.

Route 61 Closed

John Blickley, OEM Director, tells The Canary that the incident will likely affect the evening commute.

Motorists who typically use The Grade for travel must now use detours to get around the road closure. Large trucks should use the designated truck route.

Regular motorists coming from Frackville can use Morea Rd. to Burma Rd. into Saint Clair or Interstate 81 into Minersville. Those coming from Saint Clair headed northbound would use the Burma Rd. detour or get on I-81 in Minersville.

Shannon Brennan, Assistant Executive Director at Schuylkill Technology Center, said the gas leak caused some buses to be late for school Wednesday morning and buses will likely be rerouted around Route 61 for the afternoon rides.

Business Closures

Businesses located in the shopping center at Coal Creek Commerce Center have been closed during this incident: Dunkin, Uma Japanese Steak House, Verizon, Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza, Sophy Jewelers, Gamestop, Philly Pretzel Factory, Primo Hoagies, Cigar Box, Aspen Dental and New York Nails.

Anyone needing MedExpress Urgent Care should call ahead to see if it’s open.

Walmart, Taco Bell, Tractor Supply Company, and Home Depot remain open.

Blickley said the call came in to Schuylkill County 9-1-1 at about 7:50 a.m. for the gas leak, prompting a response from Saint Clair Fire Dept. They, along with Saint Clair Fire Police and Saint Clair Police are at the scene directing traffic and closing off the highway to northbound traffic.

Schuylkill County OEM’s Incident Support Unit and Schuylkill County 9-1-1 are also at the scene of the gas leak in Saint Clair this afternoon.

This is a developing story. Please check this post and more for updates.