Tuesday, March 05, 2013

BLASTING REQUIRED AT 4500 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY SITE, W LANE OF PEARL ST. TO CLOSE MARCH 12

The office building project at the former Bethesda McDonald's site (4500 East-West Highway) is about to get complicated.

If you work in one of the many office buildings nearby, or live in the Topaz House or Riviera and are at home during daytime hours, it's also going to get loud.

Workers excavating at the south end of the site have struck a layer of solid rock. An engineering study has clarified that blasting is necessary to continue excavation.

Blasting will begin in the coming weeks. If you live around Bethesda Row, you know the drill.

If not, here is the signal code explosive technicians will use during blasting at this site:

° Long horn blast warning, 5 minutes before detonation

° 3 short horn signal immediately before detonation

° "All Clear" long horn blast after explosion

Isn't that going to be fun?

The other big news, is that the western lane of Pearl Street will close "on or around" Tuesday, March 12, 2013.  Pearl Street, as I reported a few weeks ago, will become a southbound-only, one-way street for the duration of the building construction.

That western lane of Pearl will be sealed off with jersey barriers. And driver information signage will be placed along East-West Highway and Montgomery Avenue.

Support pile installation is now complete, and excavation will continue concurrent with blasting operations.

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