Loveland, Ohio – A natural gas leak at the intersection of West Loveland Avenue and Loveland Madeira Road that caused residents and business owners to evacuate around 10 AM this morning has been repaired.
The intersection was opened for traffic at 8:20 PM.
Some residents were told to “shelter in place” and some were not allowed to enter their homes and businesses. Gas was detected inside some structures and Duke was monitoring sanitary and storm sewers, and basements for gas. One firefighter said that when they arrived at the scene this morning and lifted a manhole cover he could tell it was quite an extensive amount of gas. Gas was detected in some basements.
Crews spent the better part of the morning and afternoon trying to pinpoint the exact spot of the leak. When it was found, a sleeve was placed around the pipe and welded closed. A compression fitting connecting the 2″ gas line failed. A Duke supervisor said it was a small leak, however because of the subsurface in the area being sand and gravel in this river valley, the gas traveled quite far from the leak before it was smelled on the surface.
