Commuters and bikers hoping to cross the South Platte River on West Oxford Avenue had to change their plans Monday afternoon after a piece of the road’s asphalt crumbled onto a high-pressure gas line that passes below the road.
Workers from American Civil Constructors used a boom lift to support the gas pipe while a claw removed the asphalt.
Emergency responders from the Sheridan and Englewood fire departments were called to the scene about 3 p.m. as a precaution in case of a gas leak, said Capt. Brian Ribble of the Sheridan Fire Department.
“The asphalt could have gone through the gas line and caused a leak or a fireball,” he said.
Xcel Energy, which owns the gas line, also had a crew on the scene.
Although construction has been ongoing on that section of Oxford because of a sinkhole beneath the road, Ribble said the pipe problem was unexpected.
The road closure upset rush-hour commuters, said John Erl bacher, who works for Sheridan Public Works and was supervising one of the roadblocks.
“Whenever a road closes, it gets people (angry), but it’s Mother Nature, so you can’t help it,” he said.
But many drivers took the closure in stride.
Brett Baker and JoAnn Arai, who needed to cross Oxford before and after their golf game at the Broken Tee course, said they did not mind making a detour.
“We thought someone was hit by lightning or killed,” Baker said. “So we are very tolerant, which is not our normal nature.”
Claire Trageser: 303-954-1638 or ctrageser@denverpost.com
