SYDNEY, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Roads in a downtown section of Australia's city Sydney were reopened on Sunday, two days after an excavator damaged a high-pressure gas pipeline that caused a major evacuation and lockdown of the area, according to authorities.

A subcontractor for a new subway station in the Martin Place central business district had struck the pipeline during excavation work on Friday evening, with a 200-meter zone cordoned off to evacuate people from the area and suspend traffic after dangerous levels of gas were detected, local media cited state authorities as saying.

A team of 20 gas specialists using large-industrial equipment worked through Saturday, with the support of state emergency services, to repair the damage, according to gas company Jemena.