The area directly around Ferguson Avenue, Shipyard Road and Lehigh Avenue is closed to traffic due to a gas leak, Savannah-Chatham police announced.
The area is being evacuated. Residents are allowed out but not in, police said. Motorists are advised to avoid the area.
The gas leak at 244 Shipyard Road was caused when a backhoe hit a main gas line, said Hugh Futrell, Southside Fire/EMS assistant chief of operations.
Emergency crews have evacuated a 300- to 500-foot area around the gas leak, Futrell said.
Atlanta Gas Light has been notified of the leak, and it may take about three hours for them to get the leak shut down, Futrell said.