Portion of street closed when gas line severed

A contractor accidentally cut a gas line during work at Johnny Q. Little Park. The Gaffney Fire Department had to close down a portion of College Drive on Monday afternoon when contractors cutting trenches for an irrigation system at Johnny Q. Little Park sliced through a three-inch natural gas line.

With a loud hiss, the line spewed natural gas for more than 30 minutes until workers from Piedmont Natural Gas could arrive from Spartanburg to cut off the gas supply.

City of Gaffney Public Works Director Mike Teague said the gas lines were marked prior to digging. He said the plastic gas line must have bowed out from its expected position.

Until the gas line was fixed, Gaffney firefighters kept a close watch for any possible ignition sources in the area. No residents were evacuated as a result of the gas leak.

Teague said city work crews will seed and landscape the park once the irrigation system work is complete.

(Tim Gulla)

Checking for gas at a nearby residence.