CORVALLIS, Ore. - Three Oregon State University Corvallis campus buildings were evacuated and closed Tuesday afternoon after a contractor hit a gas line near the campus while working near northwest 25th Street and northwest Monroe Avenue.
The College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences administration building, the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center and the Dawes House were evacuated at 3:15 p.m. due to a nearby gas leak. The buildings were closed immediately and are expected to re-open Wednesday and maintain normal business hours, said Mike Bamberger, OSU's emergency preparedness manager.
Northwest Monroe Avenue between northwest 25th and 26th streets was closed to traffic at approximately 3:15 p.m. and remains closed. It also is expected to re-open by Wednesday morning, Bamberger said.
Employees from OSU's Environmental Health and Safety Department and Northwest Natural will continue to monitor the scene Tuesday evening to ensure the gas has dissipated completely before re-opening Wednesday, Bamberger said.
OSU's public safety, transportation services and facilities departments all responded to the scene. The Corvallis Fire Department and Corvallis Police Department also responded to the incident.
