Web Extra!
A broken 4-inch gas main at a construction site on the 200 block of North Marion Street slowed traffic in downtown Oak Park Thursday afternoon. Police were called to re-route traffic away from the construction site just north of the Chase Bank building. Firefighters were not called in.
Workers from NICOR Gas were working on a connection to a new townhouse development around 2 p.m. when the pipe broke, most likely due to the excessively cold weather.
“It’s so cold out, and the pipes break more easily,” said Village of Oak Park spokesman Dave Powers, who added the only locations that lost service during the incident were the nearby parking lot garage and the new RSC building.
Powers said NICOR officials on the scene said there was never any serious danger from the break
“The fire department will respond if NICOR is not on the scene or if there is imminent danger,” he said.
-Bill Dwyer
