MORAGA (KRON) — Crews are still working to fix all the damage from the weekend storm Tuesday in Moraga.Most of the 2,500 PG&E customers who lost gas service after a sinkhole led to a broken gas service line in Moraga on Sunday have had their service restored by Tuesday afternoon, according to the utility.PG&E crews will continue at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning going door-to-door to restore the gas to residents.
Ninety percent of customers in the area have had their service restored, PG&E spokesman Nick Stimmel reported at 3 p.m. The utility’s employees have visited every customer and are planning second rounds at places where customers were unavailable, he added.
About 450 people were evacuated Sunday evening due to the gas leak. By Monday morning, 2,500 people were without gas.
Around 200 of the utility’s employees were dispatched to the town Monday to complete this work after a gas line was ruptured when a traffic signal pole fell into a sinkhole at about 5 p.m. Sunday.
The sinkhole caused a traffic signal pole to fall and ruptured what appears to be a 4-inch gas line, police said.
The sinkhole was initially reported to police at about 2:30 p.m. that day at Rheem Boulevard and Center Street, adjacent to Moraga Road, Moraga acting police Chief Jon King said.
The smell of gas is heavy in the area. No one has been injured.
PG&E must enter homes to restore gas, so customers must be home. Customers can contact PG&E if they are not home when officials come by to restore power.
The town’s engineers and construction crew have begun their investigation into the cause of the sinkhole and are developing a plan to repair the damage that was done, Moraga police said Tuesday afternoon.
King initially said Rheem Boulevard at Center Street would remain closed during this work for at least three to four days. There was no estimate on the major Moraga thoroughfare’s reopening provided in a more recent update.
The town is developing and refining a traffic plan to ease the impact on residents and businesses, police said.
Police said PG&E implemented a plan to restore gas and electric service to the many businesses located in close proximity to the sinkhole.
These affected buildings should now have power and are open for business, police said.
Authorities are reminding residents to be cautious and only let certified PG&E workers into their home to restore the gas.Bay City News contributed to this report