Gas line rupture shuts down lanes of 215 Freeway near Riverside
Officials reopened northbound lanes of the 215 Freeway near Riverside early Friday after a construction crew ruptured a natural gas line, prompting a complete shutdown of the highway.
Southbound lanes were expected to reopen by about 7 a.m., according to Terry Kasinga, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation.
The freeway was closed at Iowa Avenue near the 60 Freeway interchange shortly after 12:33 a.m. when an excavation crew hit the gas line. Traffic was diverted onto surface streets while emergency crews responded to the scene.
Early morning traffic was jammed from the 10 Freeway as television news footage showed crews spraying water onto the burst pipe. The pipeline has since been shut off, leaving customers in the area without gas, Kasinga said.
A Sigalert remained in place for the 215 Freeway, as well as the connectors for the 60 and 91 freeways.
ALSO:
Family to Rockefeller impostor: ‘Why did you kill my brother?’
Debbie Rowe to Michael Jackson: ‘Let me have a baby with you’
Great-grandmother, 67, says, ‘I was shocked’ by Filner comment
jason.wells@latimes.com
Follow: @jasonbretwells / Facebook / Google+
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
