A gas main leak closed Main Street in Tooele between 1000 North and 600 North during the afternoon commute Wednesday.
The gas leak was reported around 3 p.m. after motorists in the area of 700 North bottomed out on a section of raised pavement while traveling in the northbound lanes, according to Tooele City Fire Chief Bucky Whitehouse. Natural gas from the leak moved under the roadway and pooled under the northbound lanes, causing the ripple in the asphalt, he said.
Due to the impact on the roadway and the active gas leak, Main Street was closed at 3:09 p.m., Whitehouse said. The nearby Payless Shoes temporarily closed as a result of the leak, which gave off a strong odor.
A perimeter check determined none of the other businesses on Main Street needed to close, but access was restricted due to the road closure, Whitehouse said.
Crews from Utah Department of Transportation and Dominion Energy responded quickly to the gas leak, which was caused by a utility company boring lines under Main Street, according to Whitehouse. UDOT used heavy vehicles to test the raised pavement and ensure it was still structurally sound.
Once the gas leak was repaired, southbound lanes were reopened on Main Street at 5:07 p.m. All northbound lanes remained closed until 5:51 p.m., when they were reopened to traffic.
Whitehouse said UDOT and Dominion Energy made the gas leak and safety a priority, especially with the afternoon commuter traffic picking up by 4:30 p.m.
“Obviously we want to make sure we yield on the side of keeping the public safe,” he said.
Bulging pavement due to a gas leak has occurred two other times that Whitehouse could remember, including an incident near the intersection of 700 North and 100 East, and on Main Street near the county’s Emergency Operations Center during the reconstruction project.