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A Department of Public Works crew relocating a traffic light pole struck a gas main Tuesday, causing the evacuation of nearby residences and businesses, including a health care center. 

The rupture occurred at the southwest corner of Sixth Street and University Avenue at 9:10 a.m., closing the Ashby-Interstate 80 on and off ramps and re-routing traffic on University Avenue between Fifth and Seventh streets.  

Deputy Director of Public Works Patrick Keilch said a public works crew was moving the pole, which Keilch described as a traffic hazard, several feet from the corner when a drill struck the four-inch steel gas main located three feet below the surface.  

No injuries were reported. 

Assistant Fire Chief David Orth said all of the businesses at the intersection and four nearby homes were evacuated for two hours while the pipe was repaired by a PG&E crew.  

“We could see the vapors shooting about 15 feet in the air,” said Steve Gauthier, assistant manager of The Art Store, which is located across the street from the pipe rupture. “The fire department told us to get out.” 

The leak was repaired by 11:15 a.m. and traffic resumed normaly, and those who had been evacuated returned to their homes and jobs. 

PG&E spokesperson Jennifer Ramp said there wasn’t significant danger posed by the leak. She said even if the gas were ignited it would not cause an explosion but it would cause flames to shoot out of the pipe until the gas was shut off. 

Three city clinics were disrupted at 830 University Ave. Ricardo Blea, HIV/AIDS program director, said the family planning, sexual transmitted diseases and Women, Infants and Children clinics had to be evacuated because of the strong smell of natural gas. 

Blea said the easterly winds blew the gas into the clinic and the smell was overwhelming. “We were told first to close the windows and then to evacuate the building,” he said. “We were lucky we were able open up in the afternoon.” 

Blea said no patients were injured but the disruption of clinic services could cause scheduling problems. 

“It’s always serious when we can’t see clients. It seriously interrupts our scheduling flow,” he said. “We don’t want people to wait a week to take care of their health.” 

Concerned about the fumes, Black Pine Circle Upper School officials moved the sixth- through eighth-grade students to a building farthest away from the pipe rupture. A school staff person said the students were in their normal classrooms right after lunch. 

Keilch said his department notified the Utilities Service Agency, an organization that keeps track of underground utilities, of the project last Wednesday and had no response from them. If USA determines there’s some kind of service line under the project site, they will notify the appropriate agency to come out and paint markings on the surface directly above the utility line.  

“Normally they respond in three to four days but there were no markings at the site,” Keilch said. “So the crew assumed there was nothing below and began to drill.” 

Ramp said since January, PG&E crews have responded to three mainline ruptures in the service district that stretches from Berkeley to the Carquinez Bridge.