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"It's a threat that deserves our immediate oversight," said Blake Arthur, who manages the Abandoned Mine Lands Program in Ohio.

 

Arthur to WOUB News about the Athens boulder removal project.

 

"We're pursuing it as an emergency project, which allows us to expedite the bidding process. So that's where we're at right now, we've put out bid packages to some prospective contractors and we'll be having the bid opening on the 31 of August," said Arthur.

Arthur says the engineer's estimate for the project is $125,000.

 

"This is something than an agency like the Ohio Department of Transportation does on a semi-regular basis so we've used some of their past experience with the project, but in typical fashion, what would be done is a large net would be placed over the rock to stabilize it in place and then the contractor would go in and then remove the rock after it's been stabilized, in small pieces, and have it removed that way," said Arthur. "So there's no danger of anything falling during construction."

 

He added that the removal method is up to the contractor, but typically, pneumatic hammers are used.

     

If all goes well, the hillside boulder will be history by the first part of October.

 

"If we get an appropriate bid and we select a contractor, we would be looking at doing work probably the last week of september, potentially into the first week of October.  From some of the preliminary conversations we've had with contractors, the work could take up to two weeks, but it could be as short as three to five days.  A big portion of the work would be setting up safety equipment and prepping the sight for the work," said Arthur.

 

Back in March another boulder above Fort Street came crashing down, destroying two cars and damaging two houses.