Gas Line Repaired On Cookeville’s Jefferson

A contractor doing work on water lines along Cookeville’s South Jefferson Avenue caused a broken gas line Thursday afternoon.

Cookeville Energy Department Director Carl Haney said the incident happened around noon. Haney said the contractor inadvertently broke an inactive gas line while digging. Haney said even though the line was inactive it still needed to be repaired.

“When they pulled it loose from the main they pulled it loose from an active line so the gas leak was going on,” Haney said. “It’s always good to take precautions obviously, we ask everybody if you smell gas make sure you call us and report it and stay away from it.”

Haney said the city and the contractor both did not know the inactive gas line existed. Haney said the department quickly responded and has since repaired the gas line.

“We already got it repaired,” Haney said. “It took us just a little bit over an hour to dig it out and get it repaired. we actually when we find those like that we then disconnect them from the main so that stuff can’t happen again.

Haney said he was proud of his department for responding quickly to the incident. Haney said South Jefferson Avenue traffic was not largely affected.

“We were actually able to divert the southbound traffic into the turning lane and it flowed pretty smoothly,” Haney said. “I was there earlier and the traffic was not backed up in either direction.”

Haney said the contractor did call before digging. Haney said he still stresses the importance of calling before digging as breaking utility or gas lines can be dangerous.