Gas main break on 9th and Cherry Street
UPDATE 3:55 p.m. : It was a rough day for businesses on and near 8th and Cherry Street in downtown Columbia.
Several businesses had to shut down and turn customers away, and later reopen. Some still remained closed.
Restaurants, like Pizza Tree, Harold’s Doughnuts, and several others tweeted out closings today.
Employee Cole Gallagher, of Bubblecup Tea Zone said when we arrived to work at noon, no one was in the building.
“I called my coworker and he was like ‘Cole, you can’t be out there, there’s a gas leak,” said Gallagher.
Gallagher said he ran to meet his other coworkers a block away.
And, just thirty minutes later, they were able to reopen, but he says they arrived to a line of customers at their door.
“There’s customers waiting, this is one of our busiest times, so unfortunately some people missed their tea today,” said Gallagher.
Other businesses, like Cindy Messer’s, Bluestem, said she was forced to evacuate along with several shoppers in her store, but she prefers to remain optimistic about it all.
“Although we did miss out on those folks that shop during lunch-hour, it’s fine, they’ll be back,” said Messer.
ABC 17 has been in touch with Ameren and asked who is going to pay for today’s gas leak, and at this time they were not willing to speak about it, but we will continue to follow-up.
UPDATE 1:30 p.m. : Ameren was able to stop the leak just an hour later, but they were forced to shut off other valves and meters, leaving several local businesses without gas for the day.
ORIGINAL : According to the Columbia Fire Department, there’s a “large” gas main break on 9th and Cherry St.
Ameren tells us a contractor hit a gas main at 9th and Cherry sometime this morning.
Ameren has shut off gas in the area to around 38 customers.
Depending on the damage, Ameren crews plan to turn the main back on sometime this afternoon.
Officials are asking people to avoid the area, but it is back open.
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This is a developing story. We will update you here as we learn more.
