A portion of Clarkston Road was closed and residents were evacuated, last Thursday, Sept. 4, due to a gas main break.
Construction workers for the city’s water main project were doing underground boring when at 11:40 a.m. they drilled into a six-inch gas main at Parke Lake, right outside the city limits, Chief Steve Ronk said, of the Independence Township Fire Department.
The large main (typically a half inch main feeds a home, Ronk compared) was emitting a large volume of natural gas.
“Luckily it didn’t ignite,” Ronk said. “You just never know with natural gas, it changes in a millisecond.”
Ten residents were evacuated. Others who were not home were contacted by phone and made aware of the situation.
Clarkston Road was closed off from Main Street to Perry Lake as was Robertson Court.
The main was repaired and Clarkston Road re-opened by 4:15 p.m.