Residents and business owners near capitola road and soquel in the live oak area of santa cruz county were allowed to return to the neighborhood at about 2:45 this afternoon. The area had been evacuated, after a construction crew ruptured a 6-inch natural gas line just before 10 a.m. roads in the area of soquel drive, capitola road, and 7th avenue were closed while emergency responders evaluated the scene. Gas continued to flow through the pipe while pg and e workers assessed whether a shut-off was necessary. The pipe was capped at 2:15 p.m., and the evacuations were lifted about a half-hour later. Crews are continuing repair work on the pipe. Gas is expected to resume flowing to all customers by tomorrow morning.
