Construction crew ruptures gas line in Fremont

FREMONT, Calif. -- PG&E crews have stopped the flow of gas from a gas line ruptured by a construction crew near a shopping center in Fremont that led to the evacuation of multiple businesses Wednesday afternoon, a PG&E spokeswoman said.

At about 11:25 a.m., PG&E officials received a report that construction crews working in the area of Warm Springs Boulevard and Mission Court hit a gas line in the middle of the roadway, causing it to burst, PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said.

The third-party construction crew struck a 2-inch-wide plastic gas line located about 4 feet below the surface of the road, she said.

As a precautionary measure, police evacuated multiple businesses in the vicinity and asked nearby residents to temporarily shelter in place.

PG&E crews arrived at the scene and were able to stop the flow of gas by 12:20 p.m., Sarkissian said.

Fremont police said northbound Warm Springs Boulevard remains closed between Fulton Place and Mission Boulevard, while southbound Warm Springs Boulevard has reopened to traffic.

Police said the burst line caused traffic to back up onto Interstate Highway 880 and Warm Springs Boulevard in the area south of the impacted intersection.

Drivers are being advised to avoid the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Warm Springs Boulevard, police said.