Repairs are expected to continue Tuesday night on four-inch gas line which caused a spectacular blaze, injured two men and closed Kapahulu Avenue for more than five hours overnight.

One mauka-bound lane and two Waikiki-bound lanes were open on Kapahulu Avenue but the right lanes in the mauka direction were closed Tuesday morning.

Five businesses and homes on Kapahulu Avenue near Date Street are without gas service.

“The only restaurants affected were several fast food restaurants near the break at Date Street,” said Alan Tang, Hawaii Gas spokesman.

Workers dug a trench along the pipeline, which runs mauka to makai, and will return to fix the break Tuesday night.

“We have pinched the pipe line to prevent further leakage,” Tang said

He couldn’t estimate how long it will take to repair the break.

A construction vehicle preparing Kapahulu Avenue for repavement struck the gas line Monday night, sending flames 20 feet into the sky. The blaze could be seen for blocks.

Two men who were on the vehicle, a planing machine, were injured. 

Emergency Medical Services reported one worker sustained serious burns and another was injured after falling approximately 8 feet from the top of the vehicle. Both were taken to the hospital at 9:38 p.m. The two men are employed by the company hired by the city to repave Kapahulu Avenue.

According to Hawaii Gas, a blade from the machine struck the gas line and a spark from the impact likely ignited the fire.

Six fire companies with 24 personnel responded to the 9:24 p.m. alarm.

Hawaii Gas crews were notified at 9:38 p.m. and a command center was set up at the company’s engineering and service center, Pang said in an e-mail.

Three gas crews arrived at about 11 p.m. to shut off the gas leading to the fire. 

Once the gas was shut off, the fire was extinguished at about 2:54 a.m., Tang said.

The fire department was able to keep the flames away from structures on Kapahulu Avenue.

Hawaiian Electric Co. said no homes or businesses lost power because of the fire.

Police closed Kapahulu Avenue from Palani Avenue to Mooheau Street for about five hours as firefighters kept the flames under control.

The city began a major road construction project along Kapahulu Avenue in February, starting with building new bus pads.

The repaving work began in March and takes place at night to minimize the traffic impact.

There was no immediate comment from city officials how the Monday’s mishap will affect the Kapahulu Avenue resurfacing project.