Construction crews digging the southern end of Beach 116 Street on Wednesday afternoon cut a gas main, closing down that portion of the vital shopping street during a busy lunchtime period. Police blocked the street for approximately an hour, although shoppers were allowed to move on foot on the street with the exception of the extreme southern end. Construction crews have been working for the past few months on the planned memorial to those who died in the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 into Belle Harbor on November 12, 2001. The memorial is expected to open on this year's anniversary of the crash. Photos by Susan Locke

Captain Charles Neacey, the Commanding Officer of the 100 Precinct (right) confers with the chief from FDNY's Battalion 47 about the leak as firefighters await Keyspan Energy crews who shut off the gas and repaired the break.