The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is banning underground
blasting Along The Second Avenue Subway construction site in the night time after 7 p.m. starting
today, the New York Times reported, in response to noise complaints
from residents and community leaders.
The project’s contract
originally allowed the blasts until midnight, although MTA construction
chief Michael Horodniceanu said they usually stopped by 9 p.m. The
blasts (listen in video above) are necessary to remove underground rock for construction
of the three new stations that will serve the route, at 96th, 86th and 72nd streets.
For many residents, the worst noise came not from the blasts
themselves, but from the blowing of the safety horns which is required
by the New York City Fire Department. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer
helped bring about the blasting moratorium in a series of meetings
with construction officials, local residents and aides to
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who lives on the Upper East Side.
Stringer said he himself had experienced the noise last fall when was
temporarily living in the area, and woke up when the drilling
started. [NYT]