Loud testing along Muddy River set for today

Loud testing at the Muddy River restoration project will take place this afternoon on a stretch of the river near the Landmark Center in the Fenway neighborhood, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The tests on support structures for the project, will produce loud, gunshot-like bangs as engineers work to fix the Muddy River’s chronic flooding problems, officials said.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, the project’s managers, local officials and State Police have launched a campaign to notify area residents not to be alarmed by the sounds.

The loud testing is now set to take place today between 1 and 3 p.m. Police will stop traffic along parts of Park Drive and the Riverway during the tests.

Engineers want to conduct strength tests on concrete shafts that are part of the project using a device that exerts pressure on the concrete and, in the process, creates a loud noise, officials said.

The testing was scheduled to begin Tuesday, but the project was delayed when a truck ferrying equipment broke down, said Mike Keegan, project manager for the Army corps.