POSTED: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 - 3:57pm
UPDATED: Thursday, January 13, 2011 - 10:45am
4:28 P.M. UPDATE: Roads are now re-opened and traffic is resumed on Highway 69.
Smith County Fire Marshals say Texas Department of Transportation crews are still on the scene repairing the line.
They say the line was cut by a City of Tyler backhoe.
4:11 P.M. UPDATE:
Smith County Fire Marshals say although the gas has been shut off, they still have to repair the line.
Officials have discovered that what they thought was a 4-inch line... is actually an 18-inch line.
3:55 P.M. UPDATE:
Fire officials say the gas has been shut off. They are now waiting on confirmation to re-open the Highway.
3:40 P.M. UPDATE:
Fire marshals say they don't know what kind of gas is leaking, or how the line was cut. They are not able to even get close to the cut yet, because they're waiting on gas representatives to arrive at the scene.
Officials say environmental officers are also on scene right now.
Evacuations are taking place at some locations, although fire officials don't have specific locations to release right now.
69 is shut down from Tyler Pipe all the way to Interstate 20 toward Lindale.
LINDALE - North and Southbound lanes of Highway 69 are being shut down right now, after a 4-inch gas line is cut in the Lindale area. Smith County Fire Marshals say it happened on 69 North, two miles south of Interstate 20, between Jim Hogg Road and the interstate.
Fire officials are notifying people in the Cracker Barrel and Wendy's parking lots now.