Natural Gas Leak Closes Ridge Avenue In Evanston All Afternoon

EVANSTON, IL — Ridge Avenue will remain closed from Lake to Church Streets after a natural gas line was struck by contractors, causing a small leak that did not require any evacuations, emergency personnel said Wednesday afternoon.

Police and fire crews advised residents in a social media post to avoid the area near the 1560 block of Ridge Avenue at around 11 a.m.

Division Chief Kimberly Kull told Patch the city has to wait for Nicor Gas to assess the damage before opening the street back up to traffic. At noon, Kull said Nicor representatives were about an hour away.

"It shouldn't be too long after they get here," Kull said.

At 3 p.m., the City of Evanston said in a social media post Ridge Avenue was still closed between Davis and Grove Streets while Nicor technicians repaired the leak. There were no further updates at 4 p.m.