'Test Blast' For New Waltham School Coming Soon

WALTHAM, MA — A blasting company is set to begin blasting at 11 a.m. Jan. 19 with a test blast.

The company will review the test results and will likely begin blasting to remove rock on the property the following day.

Each day the company will send out audible "signal pulses" before the blasting begins, to warn anyone within 250 feet of the blast site, of what is to come. There will be three pulses five minutes before the blast begins, then two pulses a minute to the blast. After all of the blasting is finished for the day, the company will give a single all-clear signal pulse.

Maine Drilling and Blasting, which is the company that's been hired to do the blasting will send alerts to those who ask for an alert 30 minutes prior to blasting. Call 603-647-0299 to sign up. Note: This number has been updated as the previous number given by the city did not work.

According to the district, someone will post a schedule of anticipated blasting at the site gate notice board by the end of the week. The Waltham Fire Department will be onsite during blasting.

Crews broke ground on the site of the $375 million new high school in September.

The city's environmental impact report to the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency in mid-August, included potential environmental concerns from the public. Several people asked questions about the blasting.

In response, the city said the actual noise from blasting during drilling was similar to typical construction site noise, with occasional louder, but very short duration peaks at the immediate moment of blast shot ignition.

"Technical provisions for controlled blasting will require the contractor to comply with the rules and regulations of the commonwealth," the city responded. "On site rock crushing will be mitigated with earth berms or other sound barriers."

For years, the superintendent's office has been beating the drum about a need for an upgrade to the high school in order to accommodate increased enrollment and upgrade from deteriorating building conditions. After contentious back and forth about the ideal location, the city eventually agreed to acquire the property of the Stigmatine's, a religious order close to the current high school.

Last month the district held an info meeting about the upcoming blasting.

Additional details and information are available at the project website.