COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Four workers were injured when a natural gas line ruptured near East 56th Avenue and Vasquez Boulevard Friday night.

Xcel spokesman Tom Henley said the workers are not Xcel employees but are contractors who work for Hettinger Mayo.

Hettinger Mayo spokesman Joe Haralson said the four men were replacing old pipes when a part of the older line ruptured blasting sand in their faces. All four were taken to Denver Health to be treated for minor injuries.

"They got it (sand) in their eyes and they had some road rash on their faces and their backs," Haralson said.

Three of the four were released from the hospital Friday night. The fourth was kept overnight for observation, Haralson said.

Crews worked through the night to complete repairs to the 20-inch pipeline. Several homes and nearby restaurants were forced to go without heat for much of Saturday morning.

"We have no grill, no hot water, no heat," said Patty Andress, a worker at Deno's Restaurant nearby.

As a result, the restaurant opened four hours late Saturday morning after closing four hours early Friday night. Andress said business took a huge hit, since Deno's is a popular place for truckers to get coffee and breakfast most mornings.

"The lot's empty except for three trucks. There's usually about, I don't know, 40," said trucker Don Lantz.

Interstate 270 was closed for a time after the break, but has since reopened.

Residents from Arvada to Denver flooded Xcel's customer service line and the 911 dispatch centers with complaints of a gas odor.

"The area was not evacuated" Henley said. Residents were not in immediate danger but were advised to leave their home if they smell natural gas.

Xcel customers were also asked to conserve natural gas Saturday morning, to help the company's natural gas levels return to normal. So, 7NEWS asked if the energy loss could lead to a rate increase down the road. Henley said that would not be the case.

What about possible health concerns?

National Jewish Hospital spokesman William Allstetter told 7NEWS because the gas was in the open air, it would not have an adverse affect on a person's lungs. However, he said the odor can sometimes bother asthma patients, which can trigger an asthma attack.