Gas leak shuts down Watchung Avenue

Watchung Avenue and East 2nd Street are closed due to gas leak.

 
Coming down Watchung Avenue Friday evening, I was surprised to be shunted west at the Plainfield Police Division at East 4th Street.

The area from 4th Street to Front and Gavett Place to Church Street was blockaded with police and fire vehicles, with yellow police tape stretched to keep pedestrians out of the area.

Seems there was a gas leak that caused authorities to evacuate buildings in the area including the apartment building at East 2nd Street and Watchung Avenue.

Because of its invisibility, most residents are unaware of both the complexity and the age of our underground infrastructure -- which includes water and electric as well as gas and sewers in the downtown area. Several years ago, there was a similar gas leak just a block east at Church and East 2nd Streets.

Surprisingly, considering the evacuations, I was able to fill up at the gas station behind Pete's Fish Market, which was pumping gas even though the only access to the station was from Church Street.

There may still be traffic delays today, so plan alternate routes to get through downtown.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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