Blasting paused at new Louisville VA Hospital site as explosion sprays debris on I-264
Officials behind Louisville's ongoing new VA Hospital project had to shift some construction plans earlier this week after a planned explosion on the property sent debris flying onto Interstate 264 and several nearby properties.
A release sent out Tuesday afternoon by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said blasting has been suspended at the eastern Louisville site "in the interest of public safety," with not timetable set for it to begin again. A planned explosion on the property Tuesday sent pieces of rock and sediment onto the nearby Watterson Expressway and on other adjacent properties, the USACE confirmed – no injuries were reported, according to the agency, but some damage was caused in the area.
Irene Yeager, a neighbor in the affected area, was not at her home at the time of the latest blast. She wasn't surprised by Tuesday's announcement, though – once a day lately at 2 p.m., she said, blasts at the site frequently leaves her home shaking.
And the explosions, she said, have gotten more concerning lately.
"They get louder and more intense," she said. "It rattles more than it did before."
From 2021:Groundbreaking complete for Louisville's new VA hospital. Here's what to expect now.
Neighbors in Crossgate, a rule-class city in Jefferson County next to the construction site, say they have had several issues with the blasting since it began in the spring.
"When a blast happens like it did today, it's unnerving," Yeager said. "People that are close to the blast have cracks in their foundations."
Blasting ceases, but construction continues
Work was halted immediately after the blast, according to the USACE, and an investigation is underway. Construction resumed Wednesday, but the explosions have been suspended indefinitely.
"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with the prime contractor, Walsh-Turner Joint Venture II, and Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals will continue to investigate the matter and there will be no further blasting until the government is confident that appropriate safety measures are in place," the release said.
Kirk Hilbrecht, the mayor of Crossgate, said the USACE has been "extremely communicative and responsive" during the construction process.
"The Army Corps has been giving us monthly updates," he said. "And they have been nothing more than forthright."
Hilbrecht said the small area can't fit such a large facility across the street from neighbors in the small city. However, he said, there isn't much neighbors can do now but wait for it to be completed. Crossgate residents had sued to prevent construction in 2018 but the lawsuit was dismissed in March 2021.
"We wish the whole 300-foot crane was not even happening, but there is nothing we can do about that at this point," Hibrecht said.
The hospital is under construction off Brownsboro Road near the I-264 exit ramp. Officials behind the project have said they hope to complete it by 2025.
Anyone whose home was damaged due to the incident Tuesday can contact USACE Public Affairs by emailing LOUVAMCconstruction@usace.army.mil, according to the agency.
This story may be updated.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville VA Hospital construction blasts stop after explosion mishap
