Punctured Gas Pipe Temporarily Shutters Main Street
Chief Keddy: Buildings were evacuated as a precaution
A Tuesday morning gas main leak in the area of Cookman Avenue and Main Street closed Main Street between Springwood and Mattison avenues for close to an hour.
Fire Department Spokesman Garrett Giberson Jr said the leak occurred near 10:30 a.m. when a construction worker accidentally struck a pipe. Asbury Park Fire and Police departments and New Jersey Natural Gas immediately responded to the scene.
The construction work is tied into the current Main Street Road Diet project, officials said.
Fire Chief Kevin Keddy said area businesses, including Johnny Mac’s House of Spirits, were evacuated as a precaution. Gas levels were then checked at buildings in the surrounding area.
“Anything less than 10 percent by volume is permissible,” Keddy said near 11 a.m. of the allowable lower explosive level [LEL] measurement. “We will evacuate further buildings if we find high readings.”
At that time, the source of the gas leak had been identified and workers had begun to repair the pipe.
The barriers along Main Street were cleared by noon but at 2 p.m. the City issued an advisory asking motorists to continue to avoid the Cookman Avenue and Main Street vicinity due to continuing construction. Lane closure were expected to continue and the 700 block of Cookman remained closed to traffic.
The Main Street Road Diet work along Cookman Avenue is expected to continue through Fall 2019, Transportation Manager Michael Manzella said.
[Photos courtesy of the Asbury Park Fire Department]
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