EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article indicated Dominion Energy made repairs on a potential gas leak. It has since been updated with information from the energy company confirming there was no natural gas leak, but a carbon monoxide leak.
Part of Chapel Hill’s downtown got closed off Tuesday morning due to reports of a carbon monoxide leak, causing traffic detours and delays.
The Chapel Hill Police Department and Fire Department responded to a potential gas leak in the 100-block of East Franklin Street shortly after 11 a.m. According to a Town of Chapel Hill spokesperson, emergency responders closed the area to traffic and police directed vehicles to detours. Buildings on the north side of Franklin Street, from the Wells Fargo bank to the Four Corners restaurant were also evacuated.
A message from the Town of Chapel Hill around 11:45 a.m. said fire crews secured the scene and Dominion Energy crews arrived on the scene for examination. By 12:11 p.m., the Chapel Hill Fire Department said the problem had been addressed.
A spokesperson for Dominion Energy told Chapelboro the incident Tuesday was caused by an issue with customer-owned equipment. Precautions, such as the evacuation of buildings and the closure of East Franklin Street, were completed until Dominion could verify there was or was not a leak.
Dominion Energy has addressed the issue. Sidewalks are reopening, and E #FranklinSt will be reopened once we can get apparatus cleared from the road. #ThankYou for your patience. We take gas leaks very seriously! @DCHP_ChapelHill @UNCandCommunity @visitchapelhill @WCHLChapelboro https://t.co/9JfIfnblHX
— Chapel Hill Fire (@ChapelHillFD) May 11, 2021
The fire department said sidewalks would soon reopen to pedestrians in the early afternoon, while the busy downtown Chapel Hill road would be reopened once response vehicles left the scene.
In addition to causing traffic delays, the incident led to some initial delays in Chapel Hill Transit buses. The transit system shared a message to the community saying riders could see delays in bus routes as the Franklin Street closure continued to be resolved.
A gas leak on Franklin Street will affect some Chapel Hill Transit buses. More details are coming, but please prepare for possible delays and be patient as authorities resolve the issue.
— Chapel Hill Transit (@chtransit) May 11, 2021
Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.
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