CRANBERRY TWP — A natural gas leak Tuesday at a popular shopping plaza took more than two hours to shut off.

Cranberry Township emergency crews responded to the gas leak just after 2 p.m. on Cranberry Springs Drive near Mackenzie Way and McElroy Road.

According to Dave Mack, Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company chief, a contractor digging for a widening project hit a Peoples Gas line, causing a rupture. When workers attempted to shut off gas to the line, they found the shut-off valve was buried. It took more than two hours for the valve to be dug up and shut off.

“It took them a while,” Mack said.

Two fire trucks responded to the scene, where natural gas could be smelled in the surrounding area. Mack said businesses in the area reported the gas smell in their stores, as customers entering and leaving those locations allowed the odor in.

Mack said work to repair the line would be ongoing. Officials from Peoples Gas could not be reached late Tuesday for comment.