Why did Boston build tunnels?

This extraordinary traffic mess was a drain on the economy and quality of life of Boston and New England. The solution was the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. A massive undertaking constructed under the purview of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.



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The mountain material is solid and strong enough not to collapse the hole, or the hole is lined with reinforcement that transfers load from one side to the other. This is now iron/steel rings or reinforced concrete. Tunnel boring machines build the liners as they progress, and push forward using the last ring.

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The four tunnels vary in age between 19 years old and 88 years old. Both the Ted Williams Tunnel, which opened in 1995, and the Thomas O'Neill Tunnel, which opened in 2003, were part of the historic Big Dig project.

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Aggregate provided 60% of the concrete used to build the Big Dig. Indicted were: former general manager Robert Prosperi; dispatch manager Marc Blais; dispatch manager John Farrar; quality control manager McNally; district operations manager Gregory Stevenson; and dispatch manager Keith Thomas.

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Given that many tunnels are below ground, they have long been designed and built to be watertight and with features that provide flood defence. Anti flooding measures include drainage systems, pumps, waterproofing of walls and ceilings, and increasingly sophisticated flood warning systems.

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