South Loop Stores Evacuated After Gas Leak
CHICAGO (CBS) --Police blocked Roosevelt Road between Michigan and State in the South Loop after a construction project punctured a gas main, reports WBBM's John Cody.
Deputy Fire Commissioner John McNicholas said a ditch digger scraped open a hole in the four inch gas main, which forced evacuation of the adjacent Walgreens.
"Gas company arrived on the scene very quickly. They were able to clamp the leak off. We just did some final readings to make sure that we had no dangerous levels of natural gas in any of the buildings which we found the readings to be zero," McNicholas said.
A pronounced odor of natural gas filled the intersection at State and Roosevelt for a few minutes until utility crews shut it off.
Chief McNicholas said gas levels never rose high enough to interfere with the CTA subway or el tracks near the intersection.
There were no injuries.