(Update at 3:45 p.m.) A gas line break may snarl the drive home for some Crystal City commuters.
The four-way intersection of Long Bridge Drive, Crystal Drive, Clark Street and 12th Street S. is currently closed to traffic while Washington Gas crews try to shut the gas off. Police and firefighters are on the scene, and streets leading to the intersection have been closed to through traffic.
Initial reports suggest the leak is in a large 8-inch gas line. There’s a strong odor of natural gas in the area around the leak.
The leak is causing gas to bubble up through standing rainwater in the middle of the intersection. Even after the gas is shut off, we’re told that repairs may last “most of the afternoon” — necessitating ongoing closures.
Road construction crews were seen working on the intersection and on parts of Long Bridge Drive earlier this morning.
