AMHERST – A gas leak on East Pleasant Street, likely caused by Department of Public Works crews working in the vicinity, caused a brief evacuation of commercial buildings in downtown Amherst on Thursday morning.
Berkshire Gas spokesman Christopher Farrell said a 2-inch plastic line near the intersection of Triangle and East Pleasant was struck just before 10 a.m., and gas company crews were on the scene within seven minutes to fix the leak.
“It took our crew about 20 minutes to stop the leak, after which they made a routine repair,” Farrell said.
Police officers and firefighters made some precautionary evacuations before Berkshire Gas employees got there, Farrell said.
The gas leak occurred as the DPW continues installing conduits and vaults to carry electric, cable, telephone and internet lines on East Pleasant Street between the south end of Kendrick Park, the intersection with Triangle Street and also along Pray Street.
This work has forced daily detours at the main intersection, which has been regularly closed to through traffic, and leaves portions of the roads covered with temporary steel plates.
Once the conduits and vaults are in place, the utility companies will move their wires from overhead to underground.
The project is financed by a $1.5 million MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant the town received in October 2014.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
