Workers rupture Saugus gas main

SAUGUS – A ruptured gas main on Juliette Road closed a portion of Central Street in Saugus Thursday afternoon, as Fire Captain Donald Shea said a crew from Verizon struck a gas main while drilling a hole for a new utility pole.Shea said the auger they were using “nicked” the 1-and-a-quarter inch pipe at around 1:30 p.m. He said it was a low-pressure main, but the rupture was bad enough that gas could be heard escaping.?Supposedly it was checked for underground utilities and it was OK,” said Shea.Crews from National Grid were on hand to repair the broken main. One worker could be seen digging in the hole wearing an orange suit and a respirator connected to a small tank.The rupture occurred in front of a vacant home at 1 Juliette Road, and Shea said firefighters had to force entry into the house to check it.Shea said homes downwind of the main were also checked and all of the neighbors in the area were notified.?We checked all the houses for vapors and eliminated ignition sources in the area and diverted traffic,” said Shea. “We checked the interior of the houses and it was negative on all the readings.”Workers were able to cap the leak at 2:30 p.m. and Central Street was re-opened shortly after.Building Inspector Fred Verone said gusty winds Thursday helped dissipate the gas in the area.Debbie Drew, a spokesperson for National Grid, said workers were still in the process of installing a new section of pipe at 4 p.m.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].