A gas station was evacuated and some residents were advised to shelter in place after a private contractor struck a natural gas line on Admirals Road on Wednesday.
Esquimalt Fire and Rescue and Victoria police closed the busy Esquimalt and Admirals intersection after the contractor, who was doing sidewalk and road repair, struck the gas line just after noon.
Traffic backed up along the busy thoroughfares over most of the afternoon as drivers navigated detours.
A Chevron gas station was evacuated and some residents of the 11-storey Vista, a seniors building close to the break area, were advised to stay indoors out of what a township spokeswoman called “an abundance of caution.”
People were also warned not to light up or discard cigarettes in the area.
FortisBC crews had repaired the leak by just after 4 p.m. but heavy traffic was expected to remain for “several hours” after the repair, the township said in a social media post.
Esquimalt and Admirals roads surround CFB Esquimalt, home to about 6,000 military and civilian personnel.
