8 Leander ISD schools to reopen after gas leak in area is fixed

AUSTIN, Texas - Leander ISD will reopen schools on Tuesday, Oct. 22, after being shut down on Monday due to a gas leak. The construction in that area also closed FM 620 over the weekend.

One local business in the area said he felt the impact financially.

"It's been very impactful on us. We have not been able to make a sale or even speak to any customers over the past three days," said Derek Ayers, a sales man at BBQ Outfitters in Austin.

The Steiner Ranch community felt the impact after a construction crew hit an 8-inch gas line at 620 and 2222 on Friday. Crews from Lake Travis Fire and Texas Gas Service responded.

They had to shut down 620 in that area, while crews worked to stop the leak and install a bypass line.

"You could hear it from here. And we're a good 200 yards away from where it actually went off. But you could hear it from here. It sounded almost like a jet engine. It was very, very loud. But it also showed just kind of a big plume of gas coming through the air," said Ayers.

Around 7 p.m. on Sunday, the southbound lanes of 620 were reopened, and on Monday the northbound lanes reopened.

BBQ outfitters is just down the road from the gas leak.

Sales man Derek Ayers says the business has seen minimal traffic in its business because of the road closure.

"The road was completely closed down from one light to another, so we had no traffic here whatsoever. Not here on Friday, not here on Saturday. They opened one lane for us on Sunday, but it was majority blocked off, so we couldn't really get anybody in here," said Ayers.

Ayers says he’s optimistic for business as both north and south-bound lanes have opened.

The closure also impacted Leander ISD. The district closed eight of its schools in the Vandegrift High School feeder pattern on Monday as crews worked to repair the line.

One parent said kids were stuck on the bus for hours coming home on Friday when the drive usually takes 20 minutes due to the road closure.

The district released a statement on Monday:

"After careful consideration, we have determined school operations contribute significantly to traffic due to car and bus transportation. The logistical challenges for buses, drop-offs and pick-ups that we experienced Friday seem inevitable on Monday. Furthermore, the extended time students and staff would spend in traffic will disrupt the school day and reduce valuable instructional time."

TxDOT says Texas gas is responsible for all the repairs. FOX 7 reached out to Texas gas to get an update on the repairs and have not heard back.

As of 6 p.m. on Monday, all the lanes had reopened.