Several businesses, a strip mall and an apartment building not far from Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis were evacuated Tuesday morning after construction crews struck a gas main.
Fire crews arrived at Lake Street and Market Plaza and found construction workers had made a large hole in the main and gas was venting into the atmosphere, Minneapolis Fire Department spokeswoman Melanie Rucker said.
Authorities evacuated nearby buildings because of the gas odor and readings on their monitors, Rucker said.
CenterPoint Energy turned off the gas and said affected customers, including 248 residents in the vicinity, would be without service until late Tuesday afternoon or early evening while the utility makes repairs, said Ross Corson, a CenterPoint spokesman.
Some customers also lost electrical service, Rucker said.
By early afternoon, businesses were given the all-clear to reopen and residents were allowed to return to their homes, Rucker said.
A CenterPoint spokesman said a third-party contractor not affiliated with the utility hit the underground gas main while digging in the area.
Lake Street between Excelsior Boulevard and Drew Avenue was closed for several hours, but westbound lanes were to reopen by early afternoon. Eastbound lanes were expected to be closed for up to 24 hours, Rucker said.
