Natural Gas Line Hit, Shut Off in Construction Area in Roseville

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): A natural gas line was struck Monday afternoon, disrupting traffic in a heavily traveled area of Roseville, authorities said.

A construction company hit the 4-inch gas main around 1:45 p.m. while doing excavation work at Long Lake Road and County Road C, said Randy Fordice, a spokesman for Xcel Energy. The gas was shut off just after 3:00 p.m. and no one was injured, he said.

"Currently seven commercial buildings are without service as we make repairs, which we expect to complete and restore service later this afternoon or evening," he said.

The Fire Department had encouraged people to avoid the area during the incident, and roads in the area were closed. About 4 p.m., the department posted a tweet saying "The incident on County Road C has been cleared."

Last Tuesday, firefighters tended to a natural gas line strike on County Road C, not far from the current incident. There is no immediate word on whether both mishaps are connected to the same construction work.

Courtesy: www.startribune.com