LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's been three months since blasting was suspended at the Louisville VA Medical Center construction site after explosions caused damage to nearby homes and landed debris on the Watterson Expressway last October.
Following a months-long investigation by several agencies, blasting has resumed with new safety measures. Officials say they're confident they won't run into the same issues.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Kentucky Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement, and DynoConsult -- a third-party consultant for the main contractor -- each conducted "independent investigations" after the incident to figure out the cause of the incident.
According to a release on Jan. 19, officials determined the incident was the result of an "unintended simultaneous detonation of several explosive charges which were designed to detonate on a precisely timed sequence." Translation: Multiple smaller blasts happening at the same time, instead of staggered.
The USACE and the Kentucky Division of Mine Reclamation reviewed and approved the latest blast remediation plan.
The USACE said the biggest difference this time around is the spacing between the areas they're blasting on. Crews will be widening the space they're working on to prevent multiple smaller blasts from happening at the same time.
A blast mat, essentially an extra lid made of tire-like material, will also be placed over each hole to make sure debris doesn't fly over the interstate and into people's homes. In addition, traffic on the Watterson Expressway will be stopped while blasts occur.
Officials say blasting will continue through the week, roughly once a day, as long as weather and equipment permits. There are four rounds left, but USACE says with snow potential in the forecast, it could push the finish until next week.
Residents in the Crossgate community, who live right next to the construction site, say they're ready for the blasting to be over with. They are relieved there's only four days left.
When asked what he would say to the residents who have had to pay for damage to their homes, Matthew Lowe, chief of the Veterans Affairs division, said they're going "above and beyond" to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"We're going above and beyond to make sure those safety measures are in place," Lowe said. "We do not want this to happen again. We feel very confident. We have four blasts left. We're hoping other people are just as excited to see this move forward as we are."
As for the progress, the structure is taking shape and the timeline is still to have the new hospital done by 2026.
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