The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be conducting intermittent, controlled blasting in the vicinity of 48th Street and 37th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, for approximately 18 months as part of their ongoing construction of City Tunnel No. 3 to increase safe drinking water delivery in NYC. 

The controlled blasting is being conducted under strict Federal and City standards. The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) will be supervising on site. 

Each blast will occur Monday to Friday inside the shaft and will last about five seconds. A warning whistle is sounded prior to the blast:

• 1 long whistle: preparing to blast
• 2 short whistles: ready to blast
• 3 short whistles: all clear

Visit the Noise from Construction page to make a complaint about noise from the controlled blasting or the warning whistle.

Call 311 for assistance by phone.