EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
There were some happy drivers Tuesday night on Evansville's west side.
A Phillips 66 station on West Franklin Street just opened and the price plummeted to $2.59 a gallon.
But, it didn't last long.
Those low prices lasted for the first two hours of the station's grand opening. A steady line of customers continued down the street for quite awhile. It's a line drivers say they didn't mind.
"That's amazing. I'm happy about that because gas prices have been so high," customer Charles Connolly said.
Many smiles at the pump Tuesday evening as the new Phillips 66 gas station held its grand opening at the corner of Fulton and Franklin.
Construction manager Charles Russelburg says he partnered with a few people from the Indianapolis area starting work on the station in late August.
"We wanted to make a big impact and we wanted to touch as many people in Evansville as possible," Russelburg said.
To make that big impact, gas prices were as low as $2.59 a gallon for the first couple hours, with lines stretching down the street.
"Maybe five minutes or so waiting," customer Robert Weber said.
"It was moving pretty quick. I'd say maybe ten minutes was all I sat in line," another customer, Amy Naas said.
Even when prices went back up, Russelburg said, "If you're in line, we kept the price down until everyone was, was taken care of."
For the grand opening, the station also offered free drinks. One customer even won a new TV. Many customers say those low gas prices came just at the right time.
"Saving money for other things, Christmas and the holiday," Connolly said.
"We travel to DuQuoin all the time, so it helped us out a bunch on our pocketbook," Naas said.
"We're trying to put a smile on everybody's face during the holidays," Russelburg said.
Managers say three more Phillips 66 stations are set to open soon one at the corner of Upper Mt. Vernon Road and Sonntag, one on North Main, and one on Highway 261 in Newburgh.
Managers tell 14 News that the Newburgh station will open on December 22 with a special grand opening like this one, right before the holidays.
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