Chapman Highway in Seymour Reopens After Gas Line Break Prompts Emergency Response and Road Closure

A significant gas line break in Seymour led to the closure of Chapman Highway in both directions, with local emergency services, including the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department, responding to the incident. The rupture occurred near the intersection of Chapman Highway and Burnett Station Road, as reported by WATE. Motorists were urged to find alternate routes due to the road closure, affecting a considerable stretch of the busy thoroughfare.

The highway was shut down around 11 a.m. Monday but later reopened according to the fire department, utility crews remained on the scene to handle repairs and provide a detailed examination of the impacted site, which was reported by WBIR, commuters experienced interruptions although no timeline was initially given for the completion of the repair work.

In a related incident not long before, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office evacuated people from nearby restaurants following a similar gas line break, which took place at the intersection of East Macon Lane and Chapman Highway, as a contractor hit a valve while digging close to a phone line, leading to the leak. It happened around 8:03 p.m. on Tuesday, according to WVLT. Traffic was diverted through a Kroger parking lot during this operation, but fortunately, there were no injuries from the event, and businesses were able to reopen after the leak was controlled within 35 minutes.