Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Gas Main Break at Willow and Shermer

A contractor working under the railroad bridge hit a gas line. A small number of businesses and homes nearby were evacuated.

At about 9 a.m. Monday morning, contractors working on the Shermer Road Union Pacific railroad bridge hit a gas main, which caused a leak. A small number of businesses and homes nearby were evacuated. 

Here's how the story unfolded:

Updated at 3:15 p.m.:

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Nicor is working to shut off the flow of gas and estimates it will take another couple hours to do so, according to an update from Glenview Fire Chief Wayne Globerger, which was sent to Patch by the Village of Glenview.

Public safety workers went door to door to check for elevated readings and found none, except for directly under the bridge, Globerger said. Those levels were elevated but still safe.

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Residents and businesses that evacuated earlier can now return if they like. 

No traffic is being allowed south of Shermer from Willow.

Updated 11:40 a.m.:

The following is an update from Glenview Fire Chief Wayne Globerger:

Nicor crews are on-scene at the Shermer Road bridge work site (a block south of Willow Road), installing valves on each side of the damaged 6-inch pipe, which is directly under the bridge. 

Although the smell of gas is apparent in the area, readings are maintaining at 0 because of a southeast wind dissipating the gas. There is no risk except at the source. 

The strip mall north of the bridge remains evacuated. Most of the southeast portion of Princeton Village voluntarily evacuated.

Updated 10:10 a.m.:

Businesses in the nearby strip mall have been evacuated as a precaution and residents in the Princeton Village subdivision were encouraged to evacuate, with about half doing so, according to Lynne Stiefel, communications manager for Glenview. Nicor is on the scene now.

Stiefel said the wind is quickly dissipating the gas.

Updated at 9:50 a.m.:

The incident is now being reported as a six-inch gas main break under the railroad bridge and will take several hours to repair, according to an alert from the Chicago-area Current Incident Notification Services.

Original article at 9:15 a.m.:

Patch has received an alert that there is a four-inch gas main break at Willow and Shermer roads this morning and that businesses and homes are being evacuated.

Patch has reached out to the village for more information. As soon as we have it, we will update this article.           

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