Walmart, Red Lobster cleared due to gas leak

The Red Lobster restaurant and neighboring Walmart were evacuated shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday when an underground 2-inch natural gas pipeline was ruptured during digging related to the Walmart expansion project.

Outer Arsenal Street traffic continued to flow smoothly, although the Jefferson County Office of Fire and Emergency Management put out an alert asking people to stay away from the area.

Town of Watertown fire and ambulance personnel, as well as sheriff's deputies, prevented motorists from turning into the roads to Walmart, and stood by until a National Grid crew arrived at 4:42 p.m. The break was capped about 5:20 p.m.

The site of the rupture was just east of a line of evergreen trees and east of a new unoccupied strip mall. A fire officer said that even though the rupture was not close to the restaurant, the decision to evacuate Red Lobster was made because a strong easterly wind was carrying the gas in that direction.

Construction materials line the proximity of the rupture site. The fire officer speculated digging in the sector is for drainage.

An auto accident occurred in the area during the emergency, and a person was taken by town of Watertown Ambulance to Samaritan Medical Center.