WESTBROOK – A gas line rupture at the William Clarke Drive reconstruction site Monday afternoon in Westbrook closed the highway and evacuated 13 downtown buildings.

Westbrook Fire Chief Mike Pardue said Grondin, contractor for the construction project, struck a gas service line into the former Sebago Moc building at the corner of Mechanic Street and William Clarke Drive.

“The main 6-inch line is spewing gas, it’s a high pressure main,” Pardue said at the scene.

According to Westbrook dispatch, utility workers stopped the gas leak at 2:01 p.m. about one hour after the rupture was reported at 1:07 p.m. No injuries were reported and the highway reopened.

Pardue said the service line into the building had separated from the main gas line in the mishap. Claude Gaudet, property manager for T & T Development, which owns the building, said it housed six businesses.

“Westbrook has a good response. They’re great at this stuff,” Gaudet said.

Ben O’Brien of CitiFinancial said gas had been smelled inside the building. “We hit the fire alarm and got out of there,” O’Brien said.

Lt. Chuck Jarrett, fire investigator at Westbrook Fire Department, said 13 buildings near downtown were evacuated.

One of the businesses evacuated was Profenno’s Bar & Grill on Main Street owned by Pete Profenno.

Profenno, who was on the sidewalk near his business, said he was upset because the evacuation impacted his business while others nearby remained open. Profenno said Friendly Discount and the gas station on Main Street weren’t evacuated.

“If it’s that serious, get people out, not one or two businesses,” Profenno said. “Do it right or don’t do it at all.”

The gas leak re-routed traffic from William Clarke Drive through downtown Westbrook.

“What a mess,” Capt. Gene Dunn of Westbrook Fire Department said.

Pardue said the fire department stood by with water lines loaded as a precaution. Firefighters from Gorham and Scarborough also responded to the scene.

Capt. Gene Dunn of Westbrook Fire Department stands by at a fire hydrant on Main Street. (Staff photo by Robert Lowell)