June 14, 2006
Gas line break forces detours in Nitro
By Sarah K. Winn
Staff writer
An early morning gas line rupture on Pickens Road in Nitro led to a day of delays and detours for city residents and workers Tuesday.
At about 8:30 a.m., a Mountaineer Gas line ruptured on Pickens Road in Nitro, sending gravel and rocks more than 30 feet into the air, said Lt. Joe Savilla of the Nitro Police Department.
Kemron Environment Services Inc. of Charleston was taking a core sample of the soil to monitor the chemical makeup, Savilla said. A crew from Prosonic Corporation of Ohio, which was doing the drilling, dug down 7 feet and began drilling, he said. After 1 inch, the drill bit hit a 12-inch gas line, causing the rupture, he said.
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Immediately after, police closed part of W.Va. 25 in Nitro and the Interstate 64 entrance and exit ramps until 1 p.m. Pickens Road remained closed until late afternoon while Mountaineer Gas crews worked to replace the ruptured pipe.
“We had to take the long way around,” said Ellen Crislip of ABF Freight Systems on McJunkin Road in Nitro.
