06/25/2023
BOSTON —
With the Sumner Tunnel closing for eight weeks later this summer, MassDOT is asking people to ditch the car when traveling to and from Logan Airport.
Officials say the maintenance project will cause extreme traffic congestion in Boston but will bring numerous safety and environmental changes to the 88-year-old tunnel.
The tunnel, which has already been subject to numerous weekend closures, will be closed every day from July 5 to Aug. 31 and a second similar closure is planned for next summer.
Inside the tunnel, motorists can already see where many of the existing ceiling panels were removed during the weekend closures. In that area, the original 1934 concrete and steel tube can now be seen.
A staging area for the project in Charlestown is full of materials that will eventually be used in the project. Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver told MassDOT and MBTA board members that crews will spend much of the closure time adding fire-proof concrete panels to the interior of the tunnel.
"Tunnels and fires are obviously not something that go together," said Gulliver. "We obviously want to do everything we can to improve safety and this is a great way to do it - to improve the fire safety rating of the tunnel as a whole."
Transportation officials are warning motorists to expect severe traffic impacts during the tunnel closure but also said the summer is the best time of year for such disruptive work because of the relatively lower traffic volume. The public is being encouraged to use MBTA services whenever possible to avoid the congestion.