FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Roads have been reopened after a gas leak shut down the Southeast 17th Street bridge in Fort Lauderdale and a major intersection east of the bridge.
Fort Lauderdale Police and Fire Rescue units responded to a gas line rupture by the Speedway gas station at 2300 SE 17th St., just after 6 p.m., Thursday.
According to fire rescue officials, the rupture occurred eight feet underground, so hazmat crews and a chemical rescue team also arrived at the scene.
Officials said construction crews were working on a project on one side of the bridge when the gas line was broken.
Fire rescue said they were still trying to find the source of the gas leak around 10:30 p.m., and road closures remained in effect overnight. Eastbound and westbound traffic was affected.
“Horrible. A nightmare,” said an area resident.
In addition to the bridge, the gas leak also shut down the intersection of Southeast 17th Street and Harbor Inlet Drive east of the bridge.
Some residents were unable to get to their neighborhood because of previous ongoing construction and the gas leak.
“I have to walk about, like, 15 minutes to get here so I could go home, so I’ve been waiting. My shift finished about almost two hours ago,” said one resident.
“There’s thousands of people that can’t get in and out. There’s older people that live in there, and I say 50% of the people are over the age of 50 in there to 65,” said resident Joy Triglia. You’ve got lots of people who go out for early-bird dinner and now cannot get home.”
The office of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Warren Sturman advised drivers to refrain from attempting to go through the intersection.
Residents in Harbour Inlet and Harbor Beach were urged to shelter in place.
Officials said gas utilities in the affected area were shut off.
Since 9:30 p.m., officers allowed locals into the neighborhoods that were blocked by the closures. As of Friday morning, all roads have been reopened.
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