A high-pressure gas line was struck and caused a major leak, prompting evacuations and road closures, at the Water’s Edge development in Crystal Lake Wednesday morning.
The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department and Crystal Lake Police Department responded around 6:23 a.m. Wednesday to the 300 block of Waters Edge Drive for a report of an odor investigation.
A 911 caller, who was using a translator, reported that a gas pipe had exploded and a very large leak was occurring, according to fire department radio traffic.
The fire department requested Nicor Gas to respond to the scene.
Fire crews arrived and reported finding a very large high-pressure gas leak. They requested that Nicor Gas expedite their response.
The area was evacuated and a nearby strip mall where Jimmy John’s is located was also evacuated.
Police and fire crews blocked off the area as Nicor Gas worked to stop the leak and repair the gas pipe.
Nicor Gas stopped the leak by around 8:30 a.m. and the road closures were removed at that time.
A man who was nearby said the leak occurred at the construction site for the Water’s Edge development.
The bystander said it appeared that contractors accidentally struck the pipe with an excavator but there did not appear to be an explosion.
“It’s definitely spewing a lot of gas though you can hear and smell it from hundreds of feet away,” he said.
Another bystander said that no explosions were heard but the gas leak was making a very loud hissing noise.
Construction began on the 30-acre the Water’s Edge development in 2023.
The mixed-use property, built at the site of the former Crystal Court Shopping Center, will feature over 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 260 units of housing and more.