Hey, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota: Here’s a thought to hold: When it comes to dynamite, sometimes less is more.
As much of the Upper East Side discovered Tuesday when an allegedly “controlled” below-ground explosion “went awry,” in the words of an MTA spokesman.
Gee, ya think?
And here’s some more advice: If you’re going to use explosives, be sure to cover the access hole tightly.
Now, the Second Avenue subway construction project has caused major headaches for area residents and merchants for years. That’s to be expected. Up to a point.
A point that was passed Tuesday.
“An explosion was felt at street level,” said spokesman Adam Lisberg.
That’s putting it mildly: Photos depict the equivalent of an urban combat zone, with concrete, rocks and other debris spiralling eight stories high.
Frankly, it’s a miracle no one was hurt and that property damage was minimal.
But the whole thing appears to have been avoidable. According to the MTA, two serious mistakes caused the blast.
The first was that the contractor simply used too much dynamite (see above, less is more). The second is that a protective cap above the hole was not securely anchored.
Lhota immediately called a halt to all work at the site and insisted he “fully” understands “why neighbors of the construction site are upset.”
We sure hope so.