EAST MOLINE, Ill. — East Moline city hall, the police department and a third building were evacuated after crews boring for new gas lines hit a line leaking gas into the city's storm sewer.
Intren, a subcontractor of MidAmerican Energy, employees struck the line just outside City Hall at 915 16th Avenue just after 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Crews saw through a nearby manhole that gas was leaking into the city storm sewer, East Moline Batallion Chief Curt Frerichs said.
City Hall, the East Moline Police Department and another "nearby building" were evacuated and the East Moline Fire Department was called, Frerichs said.
Traffic was temporarily blocked off in the 15th Avenue to 9th Street area, but has since reopened. The fire department left the scene at 12:17 p.m.
The gas line has been turned off.