August 14, 2002     Los Gatos, California Since 1881 Contributed photograph Natural gas blew 20 feet into the air as a gas pipe was pierced during construction work on N. Santa Cruz Avenue. Crew hits pipe, causing gas leak downtown By Gloria I. Wang Part of downtown Los Gatos was evacuated for more than two hours last week after construction crews hit a gas pipe, causing a leak near businesses and residences. According to Los Gatos Streetscape Project Manager Tom Theobald, the cause of the gas leak is under investigation. What's clear, however, is that a construction worker was drilling in front of the Eureka building at 236 N. Santa Cruz Ave. on Aug. 7 when a Bobcat accidentally hit a two-inch gas pipe at 7 a.m. The construction was part of the town's streetscape project, which includes new sidewalks and intersection work downtown. Immediately the fire department evacuated several of the nearby buildings and closed off the streets between Los Gatos-Saratoga Road and Nicholson Avenue. Linda Chandler from the Santa Clara County Fire Department said the amount of gas was "not explosive." "It won't hurt you unless you're standing over it full blast," Theobald said. PG&E did not have a valve near the pipe and could not turn off the gas flow; instead, workers dug a hole to reach the pipe, pinched off the leak and repaired the damage. Theobald said the town had taken "all the correct steps" in the project. Before construction started, the utility companies marked where their equipment was so that construction would not interfere with pipes or wires. "It releases the contractor from liability," Theobald said. It is unclear where the fault lies in the gas leak. "We've been trying to be so proactive in this project. We've been trying to be un-disruptive to the downtown," Theobald said. On the bright side, Theobald added, the concrete was laid as planned and "everything still got done on schedule."

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