Construction of ERR's new TV House on F. R. Kreutzwaldi tänav, which will replace the aging nearby Gonsiori complex, has been underway for about a year. After the contract was signed last November, crews immediately began prepping the site between the News House and Radio House.

That prep work included demolishing the foundation of the old TV mast. Nordecon project manager Oleg Kaas said they first considered blasting the foundation, but found conventional equipment faster.

He also recounted unexpected utility issues, including the accidental discovery of 1938 cast-iron water pipeworks that weren't marked on plans. Crews accidentally hit one of the pipes with an excavator, briefly setting off a geyser on site before a repair team patched it.

Kaas added that the team also had to reline a 1,200-millimeter stormwater collector between the site and the adjacent News Building, something he described as a first in his professional experience.

Underground work has taken longer than expected, but he said overall construction remains on schedule regardless. About half of that work was finished in time for Friday's cornerstone ceremony.

The project manager noted that underground phases can take up to half the total project time, depending on the number of basement levels. With one underground floor, "we have one year behind us already and nearly two still ahead, so we're relatively on schedule."

More disruptions ahead

Construction has affected nearby residents, as Kaas acknowledged that noise and dust are unavoidable at this stage.

He warned that larger disruptions are coming, as deliveries of certain components will inevitably involve big trucks that may slow traffic.

Street closures are also expected, especially once utility line replacements begin along Kreutzwaldi tänav next year.

ERR also anticipated noise and disruptions for its journalists, but the public broadcaster's administrative director Janar Vilde said staff have been remarkably accommodating — shifting recording times and moving equipment as needed.

"We've hardly had to ask the builder to stop or significantly postpone anything," Vilde said.

One construction mishap prompted ERR to test its backup systems. Contractors accidentally drilled into a cable, triggering a 12-hour continuity test — essentially a full drill of the public broadcaster's in-house backup systems.

Vilde said most audiences never even noticed as ERR operated without external power for half a day.

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