A gas leak Thursday prompted an evacuation of the Wyndham Southbury hotel.

According to Eversource Energy, an independent construction company around 1 p.m. accidentally hit a gas line to Pomperaug High School on Judd Road, right across the street from the hotel on Strongtown Road. Students at the high school were off this week.

The utility says the leak closed Interstate 84 at Exit 16 and Strongtown Road, which is also Route 188, for a short time. A gas station and a deli off the highway were closed, and the hotel was evacuated as a precaution.

People who were evacuated say there was a strong smell of gas, which lingered for hours after the leak was reported.

Eversource says there were no injuries reported to the construction crew that has been working at the site for a few weeks.