Intersection reopened after natural gas leak

Mona Shield Payne/Special to the Sun

Southwest Gas crews block off the roadway Thursday morning as they search for a gas leak at the intersection of Paseo Verde Parkway and Green Valley Parkway.

By Jeff O'Brien

Published Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 | 8:31 a.m.

Updated Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 | 1:19 p.m.

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Home News

Northbound traffic on Green Valley Parkway backs up Thursday morning as it is detoured southbound due to a gas leak located at Paseo Verde Parkway and Green Valley Parkway.

Traffic was diverted from a busy Henderson intersection this morning for several hours because of a natural gas leak.

Police said the intersection of Green Valley Parkway and Paseo Verde Parkway was closed after a strong odor of natural gas was detected. The intersection was reopened just before noon.

Southwest Gas crews were repairing the piping responsible for the leak this afternoon, and there was no immediate word on how long the repairs would take, utility spokeswoman Cynthia Messina said.

She said a contractor conducting routine safety inspections discovered the leak this morning.

The two nearby elementary schools on Desert Shadow Trail — Twitchell and Vanderburg — were not been affected, and there were no evacuations.

The leak caused delays for motorists in both directions on Interstate 215; and Green Valley and Paseo Verde parkways near the District shopping and entertainment center and Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Lisa Garner and Kelly Mamo were trying to get to the Henderson Multigenerational Center for their weekly exercise class, but were stuck in the parking lot of the Smith’s grocery store near I-215 and Green Valley Parkway Thursday morning.

“There’s no way we can get there,” Garner said. “I guess we just have to find something else to do.”