Published: October 10, 2008 10:22 am         

Gas leak closes Main Street

A gas line break closed South Main Street and caused the evacuation of nearby homes Thursday.

The gas line was broken Thursday evening during construction at Fifth and Main streets south of the Goshen Public Library. The city government is undertaking the reconstruction and realignment of the intersection.

According to Rick Kauffman, battalion chief for the Goshen Fire Department, an unmarked gas line adjacent to 633 S. Main St. was broken during construction at approximately 4:50 p.m. The line was between two and three inches thick.

“This kind of thing is pretty normal during construction,” Kauffman said.

A repair crew from Northern Indiana Public Service Co. was called in to stop the leak.

Kauffman said that the intersections of Main and Purl streets and Purl and Douglas streets were blocked off to traffic. Seven homes near the area were also evacuated as a precaution, however residents were let back into their houses shortly before firefighters left the scene at 6:35 p.m.

There were no injuries to report and construction is expected to continue today.