There was more to avoid than the typical campus construction Monday morning when four university buildings were evacuated after a bulldozer severed an old 4-inch natural gas service line on the corner of Normal Road and Lucinda Avenue.

A worker from Rockford Blacktop Construction Co. struck the gas line while doing excavation work for a street widening and reconstruction project on Lucinda.

No one was injured, but fumes from the leak spread quickly around that portion of campus and NIU police calmly began evacuating Swen Parson, Adams and Williston Halls for safety precautions. The lower portion of the Holmes Student Center also was evacuated.

The smell of gas also was present in Altgeld Hall and near the Founders Memorial Library.

The leak was reported at about 9:55 a.m. to NIU Police, although NIU officials say the leak happened at about 10:30 a.m.

DeKalb Police and Fire departments and Northern Illinois Gas Co. were on the scene quickly, said Rob Vest, director of NIU environmental health and safety department.

“The breeze is helping to disperse the fumes,” Vest said while surveying the scene. The light northwest winds blew the fumes in the direction of the evacuated buildings.

Students and staff were asked to stay away from a roped off area from the King Memorial Commons across Normal Road to the end of Williston Hall and on the other side of Lucinda Avenue to the north.

Several hundred NIU employees affected by the leak were asked to return to work at about 1 p.m. after Northern Illinois Gas had secured the leak and the fumes dissipated.

Workers were allowed to reenter buildings at 12:10 p.m. after approval was given by the gas company. The leak itself was secured at about 11:15 a.m., DeKalb Fire Department officials said.

There was some confusion as to which buildings were to be evacuated and which were not. Students wandered through the Swen Parson Bursar’s office looking for employees to pay bills and receive loan checks but found all windows closed around 11 a.m.

About 100 transfer students visiting NIU were seated on the hill near the Commons taking an extended break from their planned activities until the gas leak was under control.

Dan Turner, NIU student orientation leader, tried to keep the attention of about 20 good-natured transfer students who sunned themselves on the hill while awaiting further instructions.

“It’s a little bizarre, but it makes the day more interesting,” Turner said.

Melinda Christopherson, a future transfer student from the College of DuPage, said she was merely minorly inconvenienced by the leak. The students were supposed to have lunch in the student center at 11:15 a.m. “We’re just hungry,” Christopherson said.

“It’s a little bizarre, but it makes the day more interesting.”

Dan Turner, NIU student orientation leader