Streets Reopen After Explosives Scare Unearthed At Roadwork Site

MAMARONECK, NY — The bomb squad gave the "all-clear" this afternoon after road construction crews made a concerning find while doing excavating work on Mamaroneck Avenue this afternoon.

The Westchester County Hazardous Devices Unit (HDU) was called to the Mamaroneck Avenue Bridge at Saxon Drive at 10:31 a.m. on Wednesday. Westchester County police were called after construction workers discovered what appeared to be an old stick of dynamite with wires attached protruding from a recently unearthed boring hole.

As a result, a stretch of Mamaroneck Avenue was closed for much of the afternoon. Motorists in the Mamaroneck-Harrison area were advised to seek an alternate route of travel through the area as the HDU, known informally as the Bomb Squad, worked to assess the device and determine how to safely remove it, according to officials.

It turns out there was less cause for concern than initially believed.

Fortunately for everyone involved, while the wires were still protruding from an old boring hole, they were not attached to a stick of dynamite. The HDU soon determined that there was no hazard to the public.

Officials said it could be that only the wires were left behind when the site was blasted some 70 years ago. If there ever was some dynamite left behind as well, time, pressure, ground water and Mother Nature caused it disintegrate.

After carefully clearing out the boring hole, and running a camera down to check things out, HDU, along with a blasting expert, concluded there was no threat to safety. Work on the waterline project got back underway shortly before 3 p.m.

Police praised the construction crew for choosing the path of caution.

"We always say 'if you see something say something,'" Westchester County police said in a statement. "Our hard hats are off to the workers who did that today. Let's file this one under 'Better Safe Than Sorry.'"