Gas leak closes portion of 64 Avenue in Surrey

A gas leak in Surrey has forced the closure of a portion of a major arterial in the city’s Cloverdale neighbourhood.

Fortis BC says one of its gas lines has been hit in the area of 64 Avenue and 177 Street.

In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio around 3:45 p.m., the utility company says it expects to have repairs completed within the hour, with re-lights to affected businesses starting shortly after. Fortis BC says the roads blocked by repair crews will remain that way for “another few hours.”

Spokesperson Diana Sorace explains Fortis was notified of damage to a service line just before 8 a.m.

“Our crews arrived on site around 8:30, so they’re working to repair that gas line. It looks like we’re going to probably have to turn off service to about eight customers in the area while we work on those repairs,” she explained.

Traffic is blocked along 64 Avenue between 177B and 180 streets, just north of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Fair Grounds.

“There are a number of steps that we take to restore service as safely and quickly as possible, and it does require us to shut down a portion of the system, which is why there’s eight customers going to be without gas service for a little while,” Sorace told 1130 NewsRadio.

While the reason for the leak is unclear, Sorace says excavation crews were working in the area when the damage to the service line occurred.

“Ninty per cent of [Fortis BC] damages are preventable if folks follow safe excavation practices. So, we really do encourage folks to call or click BC 1 Call before they do any type of ground disturbance work,” Sorace said.

The Surrey Fire Service says it hasn’t been called to the scene.

It’s unclear when the roads will reopen. Listen live to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver to keep up to date with this story and for traffic updates. You can also follow us on X @NewsRadioVan and subscribe to Traffic Alerts sent directly to your inbox.