Digging and welding continued Friday night as workers tried to fix a broken gas line punctured earlier in the morning by a contractor. Nearby businesses were evacuated as a precaution and Shaw was shut down between first and sixth street, backing up roads and delaying commuters.
Aksha Johnson was headed to theIRS to pay her taxes but bus delays kept her from getting there before it closed. And for drivers forced to take a new route, it was even worse.
"Another street is going to be longer and now gas is expensive so it is going to be a big impact," said driver Mara Jimenez.
Multiple trenches had to be dug on the westbound portion of Shaw to try and get to the broken gas line and its location further slowed work.
"You are digging a lot deeper than you normally have to and then because it is a metal line the hole has to be a little bit bigger to get the equipment we need to repair or seal the line in place," said PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles.
PG&E says the contractor, Atazz Technical Services, was operating with an expired permit, putting them on the hook for damages currently estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
Aksha Johnson was headed to the
"Another street is going to be longer and now gas is expensive so it is going to be a big impact," said driver Mara Jimenez.
Multiple trenches had to be dug on the westbound portion of Shaw to try and get to the broken gas line and its location further slowed work.
"You are digging a lot deeper than you normally have to and then because it is a metal line the hole has to be a little bit bigger to get the equipment we need to repair or seal the line in place," said PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles.
PG&E says the contractor, Atazz Technical Services, was operating with an expired permit, putting them on the hook for damages currently estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.