The growing hole, the gas company and the Olympic Flame

Since a long time we have a faint gass smell which has been reported already multiple times. Last time they started digging was in the only week with freezing temperatures last winter. 2 guys spent 2 days digging through the frozen earth, only to close it all up again the next day without any repairs. Each time we hear the same thing "yes the sniffers show there is some gas , but it's far within the safety margins so you shouldn't worry. If the smell worsens, warn us again". Pooh, we don't notice anymore.

Since 6 weeks they have opened the lid above the gaspipe again and put ribbons about it. 6 weeks without any activity until last Wednesday. A real digging machine showed up, a container, a crew...and a big hole appeared in the sidewalk before the lid (that was still surrounded by its ribbons). Yesterday the hill of earth got scooped in a container and taken away and the digging continued. A big hole the volume of our kitchen was now already there and in the bottom a big pipe is running while some cables are dangling much higher. I must say I am very intrigued, as the signs indicated they'd work until the end of the month. How much further will they dig? Hihi, are they making a secret tunnel? Where will this digging end and what is the purpose? And where on earth is the missing earth?

This morning the digging continued and the gas company arrived. Before we knew it we had the Olympic Flame in front of our window. Wow spectacular. But I still don't have a clue what they are doing. Hopefully fixing that "presence of some gas" for good.