A recently formed partnership between two government agencies has facilitated the development of a K-25 viewing platform, which will enable visitors to get a good look at the historic sections of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, located within the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. An agreement was signed between the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to build the viewing platform; this new development falls under the 2012 multi-project agreement, which was signed to immortalize the Oak Ridge National Lab’s history, along with the K-25 building which was once located within the former Oak Ridge Diffusion Plant.
The K-25 viewing platform is intended to enable visitors to see the entire 44-acre foot print of the historic K-25 plant, where atomic bombs were built in different ways through Uranium enrichment operations. Officials mentioned that the main idea behind this project was to help visitors understand the scope and relevance of the K-25 site, while also demonstrating how much effort it took to build the facility. In previous years, OREM has completed other components from the 2012 multi-project agreement, which included building the K-25 History Center and the preservation of the historic Alexander Inn, which has now been converted into an assisted living facility.
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K-25 viewing platform project to be managed by the USACE
The K-25 viewing platform will be developed adjacent to the newly opened K-25 History Center and the project also includes the addition of 12 roadside exhibitions around the K-25 site. A constructability review of the project’s design will have to be carried out by the USACE to finalize the design plans and this is expected to be completed in March. Once the design phase is concluded, the project will be put out for bidding and the selected construction subcontractor will be managed by USACE. Construction on the viewing platform is expected to commence by this fall and will be rounded up by the end of 2023.
The USACE District commander, Lt. Col. Joseph Sahl, said the U.S Corps were excited about participating in the development of this K-25 viewing platform, as the Nashville District also took part in the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge between 1943 and 1945. Sahl said the project draws attention to a larger National Historic Preservation effort, aimed at immortalizing the historic K-25 building.
