Construction hits gas pipeline, hundreds of homes without service in Vinton/Westway

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A gas line leak caused by road construction Thursday afternoon in the Vinton/Westway area northwest of the city of El Paso has left 227 homes without service.

According to a spokesperson, Texas Gas Service crews are working to restore service after a third-party doing ground work in the area hit a natural gas line.

Residents in the area tell ABC-7 that a road construction site near Larry Dr. and De Alva Dr. in Westway is a center of the response.

A repair is expected to be made overnight, but it will still take more work to reconnect service, the spokesperson said. Technicians will need to access the inside of the customer's premises, and Texas Gas Service urges residents to not attempt to turn the meter back on themselves. If anyone has an emergency or smells natural gas, they should leave the area immediately and then call 911 and 800-959-5325.

In addition, Texas Gas Service would like to remind everyone to call 811 or submit a line locate request at Texas811.org at least 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, before any digging or excavation project – large or small. Utility and other underground facilities will be marked, so projects can move forward safely. It's important to remember not to use heavy machinery in the tolerance zone, which is 18 inches plus half the diameter of the pipe on either side of the marked line, to help prevent damage to underground facilities.