Repairs on Colonial Pipeline's main gasoline pipeline aren't expected to be completed until next week. (Contributed photo/Colonial Pipeline)

A pipeline leak that spilled about 6,000 barrels of gasoline in rural Alabama means drivers across the eastern U.S. will likely be paying more at the pump.

The Sept. 9 leak of about 250,000 gallons of fuel from Colonial Pipeline's line near Helena has halted the flow of gasoline from the Gulf Coast to the Southeast. The company has shifted its production to its line that typically carries diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil, but the primary gas line is expected to be out until early next week.

Colonial's pipeline is the main source of fuel from Gulf Coast refineries to the east coast, delivering about 40 percent of needed supplies. Colonial said the first states that will be impacted by disruptions in supply will be Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

'Red alert' and higher prices

The combination of lack of supply and increased transportation costs means drivers along the east coast will be paying more for gasoline.

Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at for price-tracking site GasBuddy.com, said prices could rise anywhere between 5 to 20 cents per gallon.

"Some stations may run out," DeHaan said, adding a run at pumps in Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia will "likely compound the problem," making gas prices higher and leading to less availability.

On Friday morning, DeHaan noted on social media the increase has already hit North Carolina, which is up 1.4 cents per gallon overnight, South Carolina (1.3 cent increase) and Tennessee (1.1 cent increase.)

According to an online newsletter from distributor Mansfield Oil Co., the gasoline supply is "very limited" along the pipeline and access to diesel fuel will "become challenging beginning this weekend or early next week" due to the pipeline shift.

Mansfield said it is moving to "red alert" and is treating the pipeline leak like it would any natural disaster. Those actions include adding longer trips to acquire fuel and cautioning its customers to take "fuel savings measures."

Colonial Pipeline gasoline spill in Shelby County 64 Gallery: Colonial Pipeline gasoline spill in Shelby County

What's being done?

On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency fuel waiver that temporarily lifts some fuel quality requirements but only in the areas around Atlanta and Nashville. It's the first such waiver the EPA has issued since 2014 and the only multi-state waiver since Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012.

The governors of Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina issued emergency declarations Thursday to lift rules on how many hours drivers who are carrying fuel can work. Some suppliers are also using ships to help transport the gasoline from the Gulf Coast to the eastern seaboard.

Earlier this month, experts predicted cooler temperatures and the end of the summer travel season would result in lower gasoline prices throughout the country. The pipeline leak will likely put a halt to the downward fuel pricing trend.

Currently, the national average for a gallon of gasoline is $2.18 per gallon, according to AAA tracking. The average price in Alabama is $1.94 per gallon.