Blasting will begin in several weeks at the project site of a nine-story office building planned for the former McDonald's site at 4500 East-West Highway.

The news was first reported by Bethesda blogger Robert Dyer.

Developers Carr Properties broke ground on the structure last November. Excavation has begun at the site, but engineers have determined that a layer of rock on the south side of the site will require blasting to remove, according to an update from Carr.

Recently-completed blasting at another Bethesda construction site at the corner of Bethesda and Woodmont avenues rattled neighbors late last year, taking some by surprise.

Using the Lot 31 project as a test case, Montgomery County has implemented a notification system through Alert Montgomery through which neighbors who subscribe can receive text messages alerting them of daily blasting activity, according to Ken Hartman, director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center. Carr likely will use the system to notify neighbors of the blasts, Hartman said.

At the East-West Highway construction site, a long horn will sound five minutes before each blast, followed by a series of short horns just prior to the blast and an "all clear" signal, according to the update.

Also near the construction, the west lane of Pearl Street is set to close March 12, and the east lane will become a one-way, southbound lane.