Gas line rupture at Ann Arbor City Hall construction site shuts down Fifth Avenue
The strong smell associated with natural gas wafted through downtown Ann Arbor for a time this afternoon after a gas line ruptured at the construction site for the new police-court building, forcing North Fifth Avenue to close.
The police-court building construction site.
North Fifth Avenue and its sidewalk were closed for a time between Ann and Huron streets while the Ann Arbor Fire Department attempted to keep people away from the leak and run tests for the flammability of gas in the air, said Ann Arbor Fire Capt. Steve Lowe.
According to the fire department, crews who are constructing the sidewalk area and putting in lampposts adjacent the new city hall building hit a line while digging.
No surrounding buildings, including city hall, were evacuated. But large construction vehicles on the site were halted.
It's believed a 1- or 2-inch line was hit by construction crews, Lowe said. A ground crew for MichCon, part of DTE Energy, was headed out to the site to shut off the gas and repair the leak.
Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.
Comments
Anonymous Due to Bigotry
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 : 3:27 p.m.
Wait.... Money is being spent on something silly and trivial like fixing a gas line? I'm surprised it's not being spent on art. Anyone who works for the phone or power company knows that workers often seem to fail to call "Miss Dig". In fact, some of them dig right in with the backhoe even when they're right between a power junction box and a utility poll with an underground electrical conduit running down the side. DUh
a2grateful
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 : 1:47 p.m.
But then, they cranked up the folly fountain and extinguished the blaze... Thus, crazy deficit spending potential was maximized, preserved,and perpetuated... The smell of (natural) gas at City Hall? Who would know the difference? Alas, glad there were no injuries...
David Cahill
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 : 6:52 a.m.
Er, Fifth Avenue between Ann and Huron is *North* Fifth Avenue, not South.
yohan
Fri, Jun 11, 2010 : 6:08 a.m.
A good lick of flame would only enhance the appearance of that monstrosity. Why is the new city hall SO UGLY?
CR
Thu, Jun 10, 2010 : 8:36 p.m.
Tina Reed: Please note that the gas line hit was on the outside of the City Hall project fence. This gas line damage was not associated with this project but rather the City Street-Scapes project.
David Briegel
Thu, Jun 10, 2010 : 7:17 p.m.
Those non-union guys forgot to call Miss Dig!?