Residents in an Anoka neighborhood are being allowed back in their homes after they were evacuated Tuesday morning because of a natural gas leak in the area, officials from CenterPoint Energy said.

A construction crew working on Pleasant Street at Ferry Street hit a six-inch pipe around 8:30 a.m., prompting officials to shut down Ferry Street/Hwy. 47 between McKinley Street and Hwy. 10. As a precaution, authorities evacuated the area a few blocks either side of Pleasant Street, said Becca Virden, a spokeswoman for the utility.

The roads in the area have reopened as the evacuation order was lifted just before 2 p.m.

Several homes and business that get natural gas from CenterPoint will be offline until repairs can be made. Crews have been on the scene for more than 4 hours making repairs, and it could take several more hours before all service is restored, Virden said.

People in the area who were evacuated had to leave on foot and were asked not to use their cellphones for fear that either vehicles or phones could spark a fire. Residents will not be allowed back inside the perimeter until repairs and inspections are complete.

"It will take a while to restore," Virden had said just before noon Tuesday, but she anticipated repairs would be completed within a couple hours.

Virden said the utility will have to relight pilot lights to restore natural gas service to more than 25 homes and businesses once repairs are complete. Technicians will begin to restore service once the evacuation is lifted by the fire department, she said.

Customers who are at home after the evacuation order is lifted will be able to have service more quickly and reduce the time of service disruption. CenterPoint will leave a phone number on a door hanger for customers who are not home to call to have their service restored, Virden said.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District Educational Service Center is not in the evacuation zone, but the four-block area immediately south of the building is in the evacuation zone. With Ferry Street/Hwy. 47 closed, access to the building, school officials are telling people to stay away unless they have "essential business."

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768