TMT construction delayed again

The TMT Observatory Corp. is continuing to postpone construction of its large telescope on Mauna Kea, a spokeswoman confirmed.

Construction work, which so far is limited to grubbing and grading, has been on hold since 31 protesters were arrested April 2 for attempting to block workers from reaching the planned site of the Thirty Meter Telescope near the mountain’s summit.

That delay, which already had been extended once, was most recently scheduled to lapse Monday.

TMT spokeswoman Sandra Dawson said she could not say when construction is expected to restart.

For now, she said, TMT would assess the situation on a day-by-day basis.

Ultimately, Dawson said some accommodations could be made, although she declined to elaborate on what those might be.