Gas service is back after work being done on Route 61 on Wednesday ruptured a gas line near St. Clair.
Around 8:00am, Wednesday, Route 61 north of St. Clair was closed in both directions due to a gas leak.
An update just after 4:00pm from John W. Blickley, Director Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management, the leak has been secured and northbound Route 61 has reopened and by 5:00pm, the southbound lanes reopened.
The call came in just before 8:00am, for a report of a gas leak that occurred when work being done as part of the Route 61 Improvement Project ruptured a natural gas line. UGI was reported to already be on scene.
Emergency personnel arrived on scene and advised that the would be shutting southbound Route 61 down at the Darkwater Road intersection and northbound at the former Schuylkill Mall exit.
Route 61 remained closed in both directions all day with the gas leak closing all the businesses in the Coal Creek Commerce Center all day.
UGI crews worked into the evening and overnight.
This was the second time that a UGI gas line was ruptured during the project. A similar incident occurred back in May that closed Route 61 in both directions and closed businesses nearby for 2 days.