Gas line rupture closes stretch of Route 61 in Schuylkill County – Times News Online

Route 61 in Schuylkill County near St. Clair was closed for hours after a piece of construction equipment ruptured a major natural gas line Wednesday morning, according to PennDOT.

The road reopened in the afternoon.

During the closure Route 61 traffic was detoured onto Interstate 81, Route 901 and Route 209.

PennDOT said a contractor working on Route 61 between St. Clair and Frackville struck the gas line.

The Frackville Grade project is a $115 million project to improve 4.2 miles of Route 61 between Terry Rich Boulevard at the Coal Creek Commerce Center in St. Clair and Mall Road in Frackville near Interstate 81.

Wednesday’s situation had a familiar ring: In May, a gas line was ruptured during work on the project, which also resulted in the closure of Route 61 for hours.