2nd Avenue Subway Construction Resumes After Blast Mishap

Construction workers at the Second Avenue subway site are back on the job nearly a week after a botched blast that shattered windows and sent smoke billowing up the street forced the MTA to suspend work on the project.

Though construction will resume, the MTA said blasting remains suspended until an independent review is conducted and new safety standards are implemented.

Work was halted Tuesday, when a blasting mishap sent concrete and other debris flying into the air, damaging a nearby building and terrifying passersby.

An MTA spokesperson said a preliminary investigation indicated workers had positioned explosives at the wrong angle underground, which forced the blast upward and into into steel plates that weren't anchored down.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Some people who live in the neighborhood say they are comfortable with the MTA's decision to move forward with construction.

Louis Ciesleski said people "made a big deal" out of the explosion, which he said wasn't too jarring. Ciesleski also said that the subway would be a boon for the neighborhood when completed, so the construction should proceed.

The MTA says it hired an independent consulting company to review safety standards at the site. Once its review is complete and additional precautions are in place, blasting can resume, the agency said.

There is no timetable for the review.