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Company aims to restart gasoline pipeline Wednesday evening

This aerial photo shows a pair of water retention ponds at the site of a pipeline leak, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, near Helena, Ala. The retention pond on the left is where the gasoline has been contained. A main gas line is expected to restart Wednesday with a temporary bypass after a leak and spill in Alabama led to surging fuel prices and some gas shortages across the South, a Colonial Pipeline official said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
This aerial photo shows a pair of water retention ponds at the site of a pipeline leak, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, near Helena, Ala. The retention pond on the left is where the gasoline has been contained. A main gas line is expected to restart Wednesday with a temporary bypass after a leak and spill in Alabama led to surging fuel prices and some gas shortages across the South, a Colonial Pipeline official said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

By Associated Press 1 min read

ATLANTA (AP) – Company officials working to repair a broken pipeline in Alabama that led to gas shortages across the South say they’ve successfully tested a temporary bypass and plan to restart the line soon.

The company said in a statement that it expects to restart the line Wednesday evening, though it will take several days for fuel supplies to return to normal in markets served by the pipeline.

Authorities said a leak in the pipeline was discovered Sept. 9 near Helena, Alabama, when state workers noticed a strong gasoline odor and sheen on a man-made retention pond.

The company has estimated that 252,000 gallons to 336,000 gallons of gasoline leaked from the line. The shut-down of the pipeline led to dry pumps at gas stations in Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.