Update 3:23 p.m. –The Wilmington Fire Department has fined a construction equipment operator $4,000 for causing the gas leak at the North Third Street bridge Monday morning.
According to David Hines, public information officer for the fire department, crews had to bust through a portion of the sidewalk and asphalt in order to clamp the leak. The fire department was on the scene at approximately 9:50 a.m. and repair work was completed at just after 2 p.m.
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Update 2:15 p.m. –The gas leak near the Third Street bridge construction site has been repaired, according to a Cape Fear Community College spokesperson. The Hanover deck and the CFCC Humanities and Fine Arts Center have reopened. All classes in the performing arts center will now resume as scheduled.
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Cape Fear Community College’s downtown campus remains temporarily closed off following a nearby gas leak Monday morning.
Piedmont Natural Gas reported the leak at Third and Hanover streets at approximately 10 a.m. today, according to CFCC spokeswoman Rachel Nadeau.
It’s the site of a project, underway since April, to replace the structurally deficient North Third Street bridge. N.C. Department of Transportation crews have been working on the yearlong project to build a new bridge with four lanes and a center turn lane.
As Piedmont works to repair the leak, Nadeau said the CFCC Humanities and Fine Arts Center has been evacuated and will remain closed to students for the remainder of the day. The adjacent Hanover parking deck has also been shut down. Students are asked instead to use Lot 2 or the L lot at the corner of Walnut and Second streets.
Classes in CFCC’s other buildings are operating on a normal schedule.
Check Port City Daily for any updates as they become available.
