Gas Line Struck At Rockville Pike, Cedar Lane

Contractors apparently struck a gas line near the intersection of Rockville Pike and Cedar Lane Wedesday afternoon, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue reports.

Fire and Rescue responded shortly before 1 p.m. to the report of a gas leak at the intersection, according to Capt. Oscar Garcia, a Fire and Rescue spokesman. Responders discovered a gas leak in the street, Garcia said.

Washington Gas was called to the scene and the leak was controlled. Several lanes of traffic were shut down, and lanes were beginning to re-open shortly before 2:30 p.m., Garcia said.

It's not clear who struck the gas line, but a major improvement project is underway at the intersection as a part of a plan to mitigate the impact of BRAC-related traffic. Under the federally-mandated Base Realignment and Closure plan, the nearby saw an additional 2,500 employees last year and yearly visitors to the military hospital are expected to nearly double to one million.

Phil Alperson, county BRAC coordinator, reported in an email around 2:30 Wednesday afternoon that one northbound lane of Rockville Pike was closed and all southbound lanes were open. He advised commuters to avoid the intersection.