Workers Break Gas Main, Homes Lose Service

A construction crew excavating at Lehigh University’s athletic complex accidentally struck and broke a gas main, causing a brief scare and a disruption in service to some homes Tuesday.

But there were no injuries or other damage, a Bethlehem fire official said.

According to The Express-Times, 255 homes along the border between the city and Lower Saucon Township lost UGI Utilities Inc. natural gas service as a result of the break.

A company spokesman told the newspaper that service crews would likely be out all night restoring service.

The incident happened about 9 a.m. in a field near Stabler Arena, said Bethlehem Deputy Fire Chief Robert Novatnack. The fire department evacuated the workers from the scene, but there were no injuries and no other evacuations were necessary, Novatnack said.

UGI shut off the main remotely and once repairs were under way, the emergency was over, the deputy chief said. Novatnack said he did not know what project the construction crew was working on.