The tunnel was constructed to handle automobile traffic from the North End of Boston to East Boston. The tunnel opened in 1935. Also included are three parcel maps with corresponding lists of property taken for “Haymarket Square Improvement.”
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Opened to traffic June 30, 1934. It was originally a two-way road that carried traffic in both directions, until the opening of the parallel Callahan Tunnel in 1961. The tunnel is 8,448 feet long, of which approximately 3,960 feet are underwater.
What we need to do. Corrosion and wear-and-tear have deeply impacted wall panels and gutters. There's exposed rebar on the ceiling, and even after resurfacing, pavement conditions are poor – a fact that should be obvious to anyone who drives the length of the tunnel.
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.
Opened to traffic June 30, 1934. It was originally a two-way road that carried traffic in both directions, until the opening of the parallel Callahan Tunnel in 1961. The tunnel is 8,448 feet long, of which approximately 3,960 feet are underwater.
Since the Sumner Tunnel runs one way from Logan Airport to the North End, getting to the airport during the tunnel closure is not as challenging as getting from the airport. Most traffic will be detoured into the Ted Williams Tunnel and onto the Tobin Bridge to connect with Interstate 93.
The Ted Williams Tunnel interface in East Boston between the land-based approach and the underwater section is 90 feet below the surface of Boston Harbor, the deepest such connection in North America. The project's seven-building ventilation system is one of the largest highway tunnel ventilation systems in the world.
First, workers dredged a 50-foot trench along the floor of Boston Harbor. Then, 12 giant steel tubes, each 325 feet long and already containing roads, were dropped into the water. Once the tubes had been connected on the harbor floor, the tunnel was buried in a 5-foot protective layer of rock.
For the Big Dig the failure to uphold project standards resulted in leaks, a collapsed concrete panel that caused a death, falling light fixtures due to cracked and ruined nuts, and treacherous guardrails – among other problems.
The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the United States, and was plagued by cost overruns, delays, leaks, design flaws, charges of poor execution and use of substandard materials, criminal charges and arrests, and the death of one motorist.
The Sumner Tunnel is a road tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It carries traffic under Boston Harbor in one direction, from Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston.
Today, trains continue to go through the railway tunnel several times an hour, making it difficult to see the original tunnel, but the Brunel Museum tells the story of the creation of the Thames Tunnel, on the site of the Engine House and the original tunnel shaft sunk into the ground.