Gas leak fixed in Algonquin

Nicor Gas workers Monday afternoon plugged up an Algonquin natural gas leak that occurred more than seven hours earlier, a Nicor official said.

"They just finished it," Nicor Spokesman Richard Caragol said at 4:50 p.m.

The leak occurred at around 9:30 a.m. on North Harrison Street between Melvina and Lehigh courts, but nobody was in danger, officials said.

The street, near the Fox River, was already closed due to ongoing repaving, said Batallion Chief John Greene of the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.

An official from Curran Contracting Co., based in Crystal Lake, confirmed its crews were performing the work at the time of the accident. Scott Hanson, the company's civil division manager, said the incident occurred while a worker was excavating the road.

"It was just an unfortunate hit," Hanson said.

Nicor crews responded to the scene at 9:55 a.m. and shut the gas off at 2:25 p.m. to start making repairs, Caragol said.

Workers spent the time between those hours assessing the situation and determining how best to proceed, Caragol said.

"Our first priority is making sure the area is safe," Caragol said.