A natural gas leak occurred Thursday morning in a bar along Washington Avenue N. in the North Loop of Minneapolis, briefly closing the street for a handful of blocks, authorities said.
The leak was in Cuzzy's Bar in the 500 block of Washington, a major downtown thoroughfare in an area populated by restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues, said CenterPoint Energy spokeswoman Rebecca Virden.
The three people in the bar left safely, and personnel with the fire department and the utility were on the scene dealing with the leak, Virden said. The flow of gas was halted, and workers remained to determine the source of the leak.
There is no immediate word on what caused the leak. No illnesses or injuries have been reported.
A backhoe was parked in front of the bar, and several workers in hard hats were nearby.
Washington Avenue was closed along the block where the leak occurred and continuing to 3rd Avenue, where vehicles exit at the end of Interstate 394. That stretch of Washington was reopened by about 12:15 p.m.
Metro Transit said it rerouted buses during that brief time.
Matt McKinney • 612-673-7329 Tim Harlow• 612-673-7768 Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
