A damaged natural gas line led to a precautionary evacuation Wednesday (January 8) of a Bryan neighborhood south of Blinn College. An Atmos Energy spokesman told WTAW News a construction crew unrelated to Atmos damaged a pipeline near the intersection of Esther Boulevard and Sharon Drive. The evacuation request covered the time that repairs were made. The Bryan fire department also responded and issued a public safety alert. News release from Atmos Energy: A construction crew doing work unrelated to Atmos Energy was working near the intersection of Esther Boulevard and Sharon Drive in Bryan and damaged a natural gas pipeline. Atmos Energy issued a precautionary evacuation of residents in the area, and Atmos Energy’s highly trained technicians are on scene making the necessary repairs. Residents may experience traffic delays and should seek an alternate route. The most common cause of outside natural gas leaks is digging or construction that disturbs natural gas pipelines. If you nick, scrape, or dent a natural gas pipeline, call 911 and then call Atmos Energy’s emergency number at 866-322-8667 so we can inspect the pipeline and make any needed repairs. Even minor damage can weaken a pipeline and lead to a future leak. For more information about digging safely, please visit https://www.atmosenergy.com/safety/call-811-before-you-dig. Call 811 at least three business days before digging to have underground utilities marked. It’s free, it’s safe, and it’s required by law.