Blasting on the Extended North Tunnel, part of the Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan, will begin on or around Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. The blasting will take place on the west edge of Old Ellicott City along Frederick Road and expected to continue intermittently until approximately September 2026.The North Tunnel will carry flood waters from the West End of Ellicott City underground to the Patapsco River. It will be 18 feet in diameter. It is a focal point in the plan to protect Historic Ellicott City residents and businesses from damaging effects of flood waters, especially like the extreme weather events that took place in 2016 and 2018. It’s part of a comprehensive approach to mitigate future damages for the flood-prone historic district, called the Watershed Master Plan.Once complete, the North Tunnel will be able to move 26,000 gallons of water per second from the West End area of Ellicott City to the Patapsco River, reducing the risk of flash flooding by diverting rain and flood water underground and away from the western parts of upper Ellicott City. Construction has already begun, and is expected to be completed in Fall 2027.The controlled blasting will take place along Frederick Road, between Rogers Avenue and Toll House Road. Frederick Road is already down to one lane for much of the day between those two roads, but for the first four test blasts, this stretch of Frederick Road will be closed entirely. These closures will last for approximately 10 minutes. Once determined the blasts have gone as planned, they will continue without having to completely close Frederick Road.Before the explosions, residents and businesses will receive a series of warning signals as follows:Warning Signal: 1-minute series of long blasts 5 minutes prior to blast signal Blasting Signal: Series of short blasts 1 minute prior to the shot All Clear Signal: Prolonged blast following the inspections of the blast area.A Power Point image explains the blasting signals that residents can expect for the Ellicott City North Tunnel project. Photo from Kiewet-Traylor power point presentation.In a Facebook post alerting people about the H-4 Pond blasting in November, Howard County described the warning signals as “audible signal pulses” rather than “blasts” as the photo of the orange sign here does.Once regular blasting is underway, it may happen as often as 5 days per week or as infrequently as 1-2 days per week. There may be up to 3 blasts per day, but more typically one or two. As the blasting gets deeper underground, the public will hear it less and less.The project’s construction manager, Kiewit-Traylor Joint Venture, reviewed the blasting procedures, regulatory requirements, and expectations at a community outreach meeting held at Roger Carter Center on Thursday, Dec. 5. Representatives from the project’s design team, Delve Underground, and Department of Public Works staff also attended, as did personnel from Howard County’s Department of Fire and Rescue Services and Police Department to answer questions from community members.For questions or more information about the North Tunnel project, contact the Ellicott City Safe and Sound team at 410-313-4200 or email [email protected] view the presentation given at the Dec. 5 meeting, click this link.Signs are posted near the Ellicott City North Tunnel site. Photo credit: Aliza Worthington