LANCASTER TWP — Route 19 was temporarily closed in both directions from Merriman Drive in Muddy Creek Township to Pleasant Hill Road in Lancaster Township on Tuesday morning due to a gas leak caused by a contractor hitting a gas line while digging.

Barry Kukovich, spokesman for Peoples Natural Gas, said the line break occurred along Route 19 near Pleasant Hill Road north of Brown Lane.

Harmony Fire District crews diverted northbound traffic at Pleasant Hill Road. Southbound traffic was diverted in Portersville to Interstate 79.

The repair on an 8-inch Peoples Gas line was expected to take several hours, firefighters said. Kukovich said at about 11 a.m. that the gas company had crews responding to the break.

He said the start of the construction season means the company has been responding to numerous incidents like the Route 19 line break in recent weeks.

“We're averaging about eight (line breaks) per day,” Kukovich said. “It's digging season.”