By: AnnArbor.com Staff
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted: Jul 30, 2010 at 11:21 AM [Jul 30, 2010]
Children cross Ann Street at North Fourth Avenue after being evacuated from the Hands-On Museum because of a gas line break a the Ann Arbor City Hall construction project.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor City Hall, the Hands-On Museum and the City Center Building, all at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Huron Street were evacuated immediately after construction workers struck the line about 11:15 a.m. Evacuees were allowed back in the buildings about 1 p.m.
Ann Street between North Fifth Avenue and Division Street remains closed as DTE Energy makes repairs.
The line was struck by sidewalk and sewer workers outside the construction of the police and courts addition at city hall, said Battalion Chief Robert Vogel. A strong odor of gas could be smelled in the surrounding area. No one was injured.
Today is the day when city property taxes were due, Vogel said. Updates will be posted on the city website and Facebook page.
Crews also broke a gas line at the city hall construction site on June 10.
Peggy Pietras, director of finance for the Hands-On Museum, said about about 500 people had been scheduled to tour the museum today, one of its busiest days of the season. Many of those people were in the museum when the alarms went off. "Almost all of the groups ended up going home," she said.
The museum opened back up this afternoon and said things were back to normal. Museum staff will call the groups and try to reschedule them for another visit, she said.
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Edward Vielmetti
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted 1 day ago
According to an officer on site, the leak was a break in a 2 inch gas line.
mpharmd98
Posted 1 day ago
I work across Huron from the Hands-on museum - can you tell my boss to send us home?
dading
Posted 1 day ago
hasn't there been a number of these in that area lately?!?!?
is this all around the new fire/pd/ann arbor government building?
call miss dig.
Edward Vielmetti
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted 1 day ago
http://www.missdig.net/
"MISS DIG System, Inc. is a Michigan wide one-call excavation safety and utility damage-prevention company that has received in excess of 17 million staking requests since the one-call center opened in 1970. One toll-free call is all it takes to have MISS DIG notify the more than 900 participating members to stake their underground utility lines and provide overhead electric line assistance to ensure adequate clearances are maintained. Homeowners or excavators can call MISS DIG at 800-482-7171 or 811 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's the Law! "
CR
Posted 1 day ago
Again, just like last time the gas line was hit. This work has nothing to do with the new City Hall project. This work crew is of the Street Scapes project. Please scoop the story correctly.
sandy schopbach
Posted 23 hours ago
Should have called Miss Dig! Twice in such a short time is not acceptable from professionals. I hope the rest of their construction job isn't that shoddy.
Bill
Posted 21 hours ago
All MISS DIG can do is mark the gas lines. Most of the time, the crews know the line is there, but they often work too close to the line with power equipment before switching over to shovel work.