Chelmsford Neighborhood Briefly Evacuated Thurs. After Gas Main Struck

CHELMSFORD, MA — Residents in one Chelmsford neighborhood were briefly evacuated from their homes Thursday morning when a gas main was struck by the utility company National Grid, Chelmsford Police said.

According to police, the area of Tanglewood Drive, Walnut Road, Chestnut Avenue and Locke Road was evacuated.

At 11:22 a.m. Chelmsford police tweeted that it was safe for residents to return to their homes, but said Locke Road from Westford Street to Tanglewood Drive remained closed while repairs were being made.

At 1 p.m., National Grid put out its own statement, calling the incident a gas main rupture. The company said the gas line had been shut off and the area had been made safe.

National Grid said at the time that five customers remained impacted by the incident, and those homes would be without gas while the company completed repairs.

The repairs, according to National Grid, were expected to be done before 8 p.m., and once completed, National Grid's gas crews were scheduled to visit each impacted home to re-light any gas appliances.