A gas leak on Congress Street in the Libbytown neighborhood of Portland shut down part of the road Friday morning.

Firefighters and crews from Unitil initiated the shutdown about 9 a.m. after a gas odor was reported, said Assistant Fire Chief Keith Gatreau.

A crew began digging then to find the leak and repair it, Gatreau said. The crew finished the repairs about 11 p.m. Friday, said Alec O’Meara, a spokesman for Unitil.

O’Meara said the street was reopened late Friday morning and one lane in each direction between Stevens and Whitney avenues had been open since then as the repair work was going on.

He said the initial call reported elevated levels of gas below ground, and manhole covers in the area were opened up for ventilation. Buildings in the area were also checked, O’Meara said, but no gas was detected in them.

He said the cause of the leak is under investigation.


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