A pipeline leak just outside Shepherd has shut down a busy local road over the weekend, after the line was accidentally ruptured during digging work. According to local accounts, a third party crew that was excavating in the area struck and broke the pipeline, setting off a response that has kept part of the roadway closed to traffic.
Residents say the rupture happened on Friday along FM 1127, the road that runs through the affected stretch near Shepherd. The break in the line came not from the pipeline operator's own work but from an outside digging crew that hit the pipe while carrying out separate excavation in the same area.
Once the leak was discovered, repair crews rushed out to the site and moved to isolate the damaged section of pipe. Shutting off and sealing the broken portion was the first priority, allowing workers to stop the flow through the line before turning to the task of dealing with what had already escaped.
The cleanup that followed has involved handling the chemical released by the rupture, and that work is keeping the road closed. Officials said the affected stretch of FM 1127 would remain shut until Monday while the cleanup continues, rather than reopening over the weekend.
To keep people moving while the road is blocked, emergency teams have set up a detour that runs around the clock. The 24 hour route has been fitted with security and bright lighting so that neighbours in the area can still get to and from their homes safely despite the closure.
For those most directly affected, the pipeline company has said it will step in to cover their costs. Anyone living nearby who had to pay out of their own pocket to stay in a hotel overnight because of the leak will be fully reimbursed, the company said, as crews work to finish the cleanup and reopen the road.