Traffic

NOW: Columbia Pike shut down due to ruptured gas line

All lanes of eastern Columbia Pike are shut down due to a ruptured gas line.

Initial reports suggest that workers at the ongoing road project struck a gas line just before 3:30 p.m., prompting a fire department response and the closure of several blocks of the Pike near the Wellington apartments.

“Columbia Pike shut down in both directions from S. Courthouse Rd. to S. Rolfe St,” said an Arlington Alert message. “Expect delays and seek alternate routes.”

Traffic camera images show vehicle traffic blocked but pedestrians — including parents and children who were just released from a nearby elementary school — continuing to use the sidewalks.

This is at least the fifth construction-related gas leak prompting a road closure along Columbia Pike since the start of 2024.

There’s no word yet as of publication time when the road closure will be lifted. ART and WMATA said riders of bus lines that run along this section of the Pike should expect delays.

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