Gas leak causes temporary lane closures

Traffic is flowing again after Southwest Florida Water Management District workers hit a 4-inch natural-gas line on Gulf of Mexico Drive just south of Longboat Key Publix, causing a gas leak. Longboat Key police, Longboat Key Fire-Rescue and Teco Peoples Gas officials responded to the scene just before 11 a.m. and blocked off traffic in both lanes of the road for a stretch of approximately 500 yards, which caused traffic to back up in both directions of Longboat Key and on Bay Isles Parkway.

Both lanes of Gulf of Mexico Drive re-opened around noon.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].