Construction crews working at the site of Vanderbilt University’s new residential college in the West End neighborhood will begin blasting on Monday, Feb. 12. Blasting is expected to continue through the end of March.
Blasting is scheduled to occur at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. during the week. A fourth blast time at 3 p.m. also may be used. Instead of being heard, the blasting will mostly be felt for a two- to three-block radius around the construction site.
A 400-foot-radius safety perimeter will be established prior to each blasting period. Construction personnel will be stationed along the safety perimeter to block pedestrian and vehicle traffic during blasting. Vehicle traffic along West End Avenue also will be blocked during all blasting periods.
A series of horn blasts will precede each blasting period. The timing protocols for the blasting are as follows:
- Five minutes prior to blast: Construction personnel will move to their designated perimeter posts and sound the warning horn.
- Three minutes prior to blast: Construction personnel will block all pedestrian traffic (on campus and along West End Avenue) and sound the warning horn.
- One minute prior to blast: Construction personnel will block all vehicle traffic along West End Avenue and sound the warning horn.
- After the blast: The all clear (a long single horn blast) will be sounded after each blast approximately one minute after the blast. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic will return to normal operations.