Blasting To Start In January For New Waltham High School

WALTHAM, MA — It's about to get a little loud as crews begin blasting at the site of the new high school early next year.

What does this mean for neighbors, traffic and the decibel level nearby? The Waltham High School construction team is hosting an online community forum on blasting expectations at 7 p.m Jan. 7, to cover all of that.

If you have questions you'd like specifically answered, email those to Marian Parella (marianparrella@walthampublicschools.org ) by 5 p.m. on Jan 5.

The team asks you include your name and address with the questions, and keep them concise and to the point.

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.

Here's how to join the meeting: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/351779133. Alternatively you can call (646) 749-3122, Access Code: 351-779-133.

Additional details and information are available at the WHS project website.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.