Travelers who normally use the Sumner Tunnel to get to downtown Boston from East Boston and Logan International Airport will need to take an alternate route as the month-long closure continues Monday. For the second summer in a row, the busy highway has been closed as part of a $160 million renovation project for the nearly 100-year-old tunnel. This time, it closed at midnight on July 5 and will remain closed until Aug. 5. Transportation officials have warned of the potential impact the closure could have on travelers entering and exiting East Boston or those trying to get to Logan. “The big message for travelers is, really, look for alternatives,” said Jonathan Gulliver, MassDOT highway director. “We’ve been working hard with the MBTA to provide a lot of the mitigation (options) that we have available now,” Gulliver said. “We want to make sure that people take advantage of that.” Those efforts include: Free rides on the MBTA Blue Line. Free and reduced-cost ferry rides. Free and reduced-cost parking at MBTA and commuter train stops. Reduced fees for residents who need to drive across the Tobin Bridge and through the Ted Williams Tunnel. “The work that’s being done now is structural repairs to the infrastructure of the driving deck. The first thing our contractors did is all of that sidewalk that was inside the tunnel is gone now. They peeled it off over the weekend. “They’re going in now and starting to remove some of the concrete and the tunnel floor to see what parts need to be repaired,” Gulliver said. Video: MassDOT provides update on Sumner Tunnel work Last year, work was done to repair the tunnel roof. This year, the focus is on the driving deck. MassDOT officials say the time engineers have already spent in the tunnel has allowed them to cut this year’s closure in half from two months to just one month. “We anticipate it will take a full month and then a few weekends after that,” Gulliver said. “Right now, though, everything is going as well as we anticipated.” After Aug. 5, there will be a series of weekend closures of the Sumner Tunnel to complete the work. “When you’re on the road right now — that’s probably the worst thing you can do,” Gulliver said. “We really want you to consider using some of the mass transit options that are available.” Once completed, the tunnel’s lifespan should be extended for at least another 75 years, MassDOT said.
Travelers who normally use the Sumner Tunnel to reach downtown Boston from East Boston and Logan International Airport will need to take an alternate route as the month-long closure continues Monday.
For the second time in a row, the busy main street has been closed as part of a $160 million renovation project for the nearly 100-year-old tunnel. This time, it closed at midnight on July 5 and will remain closed until August 5.
Transportation officials warned of the potential impact of the road closure on travelers entering and exiting East Boston or those trying to reach Logan.
“The main message to travelers is to look for alternatives,” said Jonathan Gulliver, highway director for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. “We’ve worked hard with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to provide a variety of options that are now available. We want to make sure people take advantage of that.”
These efforts include:
- Free rides on the MBTA Blue Line.
- Free and discounted ferry rides.
- Free and discounted parking at MBTA and express train lots.
- Reduced tolls for residents who need to drive across the Tobin Bridge and through the Ted Williams Tunnel.
“The work that is being done now is structural repairs to the command deck infrastructure. The first thing our contractors did was remove all the pavement that was inside the tunnel. They peeled it off over the weekend. They are now going in there and starting to remove some of the concrete and the tunnel floor, to see what parts need repair,” Gulliver said.
Video: MassDOT Provides Update on Sumner Tunnel Work
Last year, work was done to repair the tunnel roof. This year, the focus is on the driving surface. Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials say the time engineers have already spent in the tunnel has allowed them to cut the tunnel closure this year in half from two months to just one month.
“We expect it to take a full month and then a few weekends after that. But right now, everything is going as well as we expected,” Gulliver said.
After August 5, there will be a series of weekend closures of the Sumner Tunnel to complete work.
“When you’re on the road right now, this is probably the worst choice you can make. We really want you to consider using some of the mass transit options that are available,” Gulliver said.
Once completed, the tunnel’s lifespan is set to be extended for at least another 75 years, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said.
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