Several downtown Sharon businesses had to be evacuated Wednesday morning after road workers on Dock Street Extension hit a gas line in front of The Wave restaurant.

A backhoe apparently nicked the medium-sized line at 10:37 a.m., police said. Traffic was blocked off for less than half an hour at Dock and State streets, police said.

Sandra James, a National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp. spokeswoman, said NFG workers shut down the line at 10:56 a.m., within 15 minutes after the utility learned of the rupture. The line was repaired early Wednesday afternoon.

Police said at least four buildings, including Shenango Valley Community Library, Helen Freed's Inc. bridal shop and The Herald, were evacuated while workers tried to cap the rupture, which witnesses said sounded like a jet.

No NFG customers lost service since the line is part of a loop system and doesn't connect directly to customers, the spokeswoman said.