Clarksville-Montgomery County, TN – Rock blasting will begin on Tuesday, May 4th, 2021, and be staged in the late morning and early afternoon each weekday at the Montgomery County multipurpose event center site.
The blasting will be done to prepare the site between First Street and Second Street and Main Street and College Street for construction of the event center, which is scheduled to be finished at the end of 2022. The blasting is expected to be finished by the end of June.
Early in the event center planning, the project team conducted geotechnical surveys to better understand the site’s geology.
The surveys revealed various clay and sporadic pinnacle rock formations, which are common in this region. In that phase of design, it was determined that the depth required for the event center building and site would require rock blasting.
“The geology in Middle Tennessee presents unique challenges. The rock formation is an obstacle that we planned for and expected,” said Jordan Wyman, Senior Vice President of Commonwealth Development Group Inc.
Current road closures related to the event center’s construction activities are First Street between Main Street and College Street, and College Street between First and Second streets is closed for Clarksville Gas & Water construction.
Additional streets will be temporarily closed for blasting. They are Main Street between First and Second streets and Second Street between Main Street and College Street. The F&M Bank drive-through entrance on First Street also will close during the blasting periods.
Here are key points and what to expect for the blasting process:
- The pre-blast survey was completed in mid-December 2020 for all buildings within 300 feet of the project site to document the existing conditions of each building or structure.
- A text message communication list was compiled for notifications leading up to each blast. The initial blasting notification has gone out in preparation for this process.
- A temporary road closure plan has been coordinated with Montgomery County, City of Clarksville, Clarksville Street Department, CTS and neighboring businesses.
- The temporary closure plan is for the safety of the community and will be executed approximately 30 minutes before each blast and removed when the site is clear and safe.
- Text communication will go out one hour before and 15 minutes before each blast, followed by an air horn at 10 minutes prior to and 5 minutes prior to each blast.
- Each blast will be covered with some amount of soil and specialty rubber blasting mats to contain any material or debris from leaving the blast area.
- The final “all clear” will be communicated once the construction manager, excavation contractor, and specialty rock blasting contractor clear the site and surrounding areas.
For more about the blasting process, contact Brian Schrems with Skanska USA at Brian.schrems@skanska.com.
