Most of the residents evacuated Wednesday morning from a Midtown apartment complex have been allowed to return, but 58 units still remain closed because of an underground natural gas leak.
The leak underneath the parking lot of Notting Hill Apartments, 2660 N. Alvernon Way, was detected about 9:30 a.m. by a Southwest Gas employee conducting a routine survey, said Libby Howell, a spokeswoman for the utility.
Southwest Gas contacted the Tucson Fire Department, which evacuated residents from about 150 apartments in the buildings closest to the leak, said Capt. Norm Carlton, a fire department spokesman.
By about 1:30 p.m., all the residents except for those in the building closest to the leak were allowed to return, Howell said.
Southwest Gas has escorted some residents to their apartments temporarily to retrieve belongings like medicine and diapers, but the evacuation might remain in effect over night, Howell said.
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The leak closed Alvernon between East Grant Road and East Glenn Street for several hours, but two southbound lanes of Alvernon and one northbound lane are now open.
Southwest Gas crews initiall shut off the main 6-inch line under Alvernon, but have determined the leak was in the 2-inch service line leading to the complex and are working to isolate the leak, draw residual gas out of the ground and repair the line.
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