Big Dig - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Big Dig - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 8/14/11 9:36 AM
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Big Dig
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts))
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T), known unofficially as the Big Dig and
as the Big Dug since completion, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the
Central Artery (Interstate 93), the chief highway through the heart of the city, into a
3.5-mile (5.6-km) tunnel. The project also included the construction of the Ted
Williams Tunnel (extending Interstate 90 to Logan International Airport), the
Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge over the Charles River, and the Rose
Kennedy Greenway in the space vacated by the previous I-93 elevated roadway.
Initially, the plan was also to include a rail connection between Boston's two major Metropolitan Highway
train terminals. The project concluded on December 31, 2007, when the partnership System
between the program manager and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority ended.[1]
The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the U.S. and
was plagued by escalating costs, scheduling overruns, leaks, design
flaws, charges of poor execution and use of substandard materials,
criminal arrests,[2][3] and even four deaths.[4] The project was scheduled
to be completed in 1998[5]at an estimated cost of $2.8 billion (in 1982
dollars, US$6.0 billion adjusted for inflation as of 2006).[6] The project
was not completed, however, until December of 2007, at a cost of over
$14.6 billion ($8.08 billion in 1982 dollars)[6]as of 2006.[7] The Boston
Globe estimated that the project will ultimately cost $22 billion,
including interest, and that it will not be paid off until 2038.[8] As a Traffic before the "Big Dig"
result of the deaths, leaks, and other design flaws, the consortium that
oversaw the project agreed to pay $407 million in restitution, and several
smaller companies agreed to pay a combined sum of approximately $51
million.[9]
Contents
1 Background
1.1 Origin
1.2 Cancellation of the inner belt
1.3 Mixing of traffic
1.4 Mass transit Traffic after the "Big Dig" completion
2 Early planning
3 Obstacles
4 Construction phase
4.1 Engineering methods and details
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig_(Boston,_Massachusetts) Page 1 of 14
5 Final phases
6 Mitigation projects
7 Impact on traffic
8 Problems
8.1 "Thousands of leaks"
8.2 Substandard materials
8.3 Fatal ceiling collapse
8.4 Lighting fixtures
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
Background
Origin
This project was developed in response to traffic congestion on Boston's
historically tangled streets, which were laid out long before the advent of
the automobile. By mid-20th century, car traffic in the inner city was
extremely congested, especially for northsouth trips. Commissioner of
Public Works William Callahan pushed through plans for an elevated
expressway, which eventually was constructed between the downtown
area and the waterfront. This "Central Artery" (known officially as the
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway) displaced thousands of residents and
businesses, and physically divided the historical connection between the
downtown and market areas and the waterfront. Governor John Volpe
Traffic on the old, elevated Central
interceded in the 1950s to send the last section of the Central Artery
Artery at mid-day.
underground, through the Dewey Square (or "South Station") Tunnel;
while traffic moved somewhat better, the other problems remained.
There was chronic congestion on the Central Artery (I-93), an elevated six-lane highway through the center of
downtown Boston, which was, in the words of Pete Sigmund, "like a funnel full of slowly-moving, or stopped,
cars (and swearing motorists)."[10] In 1959, the 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) road section carried approximately
75,000 vehicles a day, but by the 1990s, this had grown to 190,000 vehicles a day. Traffic jams of 16 hours
were predicted for 2010.[11]
Built before strict federal Interstate Highway standards were developed during the Dwight D. Eisenhower
administration, the expressway was plagued by tight turns, an excessive number of entrances and exits, entrance
ramps without merge lanes, and continually escalating vehicular loads. Local businesses again wanted relief,
historians sought a reuniting of the waterfront with the city, and nearby residents desired removal of the matte
green-painted elevated road, which mayor Thomas Menino called Boston's "other Green Monster".[12] M.I.T.
engineers Bill Reynolds and (eventual state Secretary of Transportation) Frederick P. Salvucci envisioned
moving the whole expressway underground.
Cancellation of the inner belt

Another important motivation for the Big Dig in its final form was
the abandonment of the Massachusetts Highway Department's
intended expressway system through and around Boston. The
Central Artery, as part of MassHighway's Master Plan of 1948, was
originally planned to be the downtown Boston stretch of Interstate
95, and was signed as such; a bypass road called the Inner Belt
(officially Interstate 695) was to pass around the downtown core to
the west, through the neighborhood of Roxbury and the cities of
Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville. However, earlier
controversies over impact of the Boston extension of the
Massachusetts Turnpike, particularly on the heavily populated
neighborhood of Brighton, and the large number of additional
homes that would have had to be destroyed, led to massive
community opposition to both the Inner Belt and the Boston section
of I-95.
Clearances for I-95 through the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Jamaica

Plain, and Roslindale led to secession threats by Hyde Park,
Boston's youngest and southernmost neighborhood. By 1972, Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge over the Charles
however, with only a minimum of work done on the I-95 right of River under construction, looking north.
way and none on the potentially massively disruptive Inner Belt, The old elevated Central Artery crossing is
Governor Francis Sargent put a moratorium on highway to the right.
construction within the MA-128 corridor, except for a short stretch
of Interstate 93. In 1974 the remainder of the Master Plan was canceled, leaving Boston with a severely
overstressed expressway system.
With ever-increasing traffic volumes funneled onto I-93 alone, the Central Artery became chronically
gridlocked. The Sargent moratorium led to the rerouting of I-95 away from Boston around the MA-128 beltway
and the conversion of the cleared land in the southern part of the city into the Southwest Corridor linear park
and a new right of way for the Orange Line subway and Amtrak. Parts of the planned I-695 right of way remain
unused and under consideration for future mass transit projects.
The original 1948 Master Plan included a Third Harbor Tunnel plan that was hugely controversial in its own
right because it would have disrupted the Maverick Square area of East Boston. It was never built.
Mixing of traffic
A major reason for the all-day congestion was that the Central Artery carried not only northsouth traffic, but
much eastwest traffic as well. Boston's Logan Airport lies across Boston Harbor in East Boston, and before the
Big Dig the only access from downtown was through the paired Callahan and Sumner tunnels. Traffic on the
major highways from west of Bostonthe Massachusetts Turnpike and Storrow Drivemostly traveled on
portions of the Central Artery to reach these tunnels. Getting between the Central Artery and the tunnels
involved short diversions onto city streets, increasing local congestion.
The final Big Dig plan, then, combined several projectsthe depression and improvement of the Central
Artery, the construction of a third Harbor tunnel (now known as the Ted Williams Tunnel), and massive
interchange improvements to the Massachusetts Turnpike and several other major routes in the area. While only
one net lane in each direction was added to the northsouth I-93, several new eastwest lanes were added to
untangle the traffic. Eastwest traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike now proceeds directly through the Ted
Williams Tunnel to Logan Airport and Route 1A beyond, with new exits in South Boston along the way. Traffic
between Storrow Drive and the Callahan and Sumner Tunnels uses a short portion of I-93, but additional lanes
and direct connections are provided for this traffic.
Mass transit
A number of public transportation projects were included as part of an environmental mitigation for the Big
Dig. The most expensive was the building of the Phase II Silver Line tunnel under Fort Point Channel, done in
coordination with Big Dig construction. Silver Line buses now use this tunnel and the Ted Williams Tunnel to
link South Station and Logan Airport.
As of 2010, promised projects to restore the Green Line streetcar service to the Arborway in Jamaica Plain, to
extend the Green Line beyond Lechmere, and to connect the Red and Blue subway lines have not been
completed. The extension beyond Lechmere is in progress[13] and the Red and Blue subway line connection is
being designed;[14] the status of the Arborway Line is unclear.[15]
Yet another plan, the North-South Rail Link that would have connected North and South Stations (the major
passenger train stations in Boston), was part of the original Big Dig but was ultimately dropped by the Dukakis
administration as an impediment to acquiring federal funding for the project.
Early planning
The project was conceived in the 1970s by the Boston Transportation Planning Review to replace the rusting
elevated six-lane Central Artery. The expressway separated downtown from the waterfront, and was
increasingly choked with bumper-to-bumper traffic. Business leaders were more concerned about access to
Logan Airport, and pushed instead for a third harbor tunnel. In their second terms, Michael Dukakis (governor)
and Fred Salvucci (secretary of transportation) came up with the strategy of tying the two projects together
thereby combining the project that the business community supported with the project that they and the City of
Boston supported.[citation needed]
Planning for the Big Dig as a project officially began in 1982, with environmental impact studies starting in
1983. After years of extensive lobbying for federal dollars, a 1987 public works bill appropriating funding for
the Big Dig was passed by U.S. Congress, but it was subsequently vetoed by President Ronald Reagan as being
too expensive. When Congress overrode his veto, the project had its green light and ground was first broken in
1991.[16]
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA), which had little experience in managing an undertaking of the
scope and magnitude of the CA/T Project, hired a joint venture to provide preliminary designs, manage design
consultants and construction contractors, track the project's cost and schedule, advise MTA on project decisions,
and (in some instances) act as the MTA's representative. Eventually, MTA combined some of its employees
with joint venture employees in an integrated project organization. This was intended to make management
more efficient, but it hindered MTA's ability to independently oversee project activities because MTA and the
joint venture had effectively become partners in the project.[17]
Obstacles
In addition to these political and financial difficulties, the project faced several environmental and engineering
obstacles.
The downtown area through which the tunnels were to be dug was largely landfill, and included existing
subway lines as well as innumerable pipes and utility lines that would have to be replaced or moved. Tunnel
workers encountered many unexpected geological and archaeological barriers, ranging from glacial debris to
foundations of buried houses and a number of sunken ships lying within the reclaimed land.
The project received approval from state environmental agencies in 1991, after satisfying concerns including
release of toxins by the excavation and the possibility of disrupting the homes of millions of rats, causing them
to roam the streets of Boston in search of new housing. By the time the federal environmental clearances were
delivered in 1994,[18] the process had taken some seven years, during which time inflation greatly increased the
project's original cost estimates.[citation needed]
Reworking such a busy corridor without seriously restricting traffic flow required a number of state-of-the-art
construction techniques. Because the old elevated highway (which remained in operation throughout the
construction process) rested on pylons located throughout the designated dig area, engineers first utilized slurry
wall techniques to create 120 ft (37 m).-deep concrete walls upon which the highway could rest. These concrete
walls also stabilized the sides of the site, preventing cave-ins during the excavation process.
The multi-lane interstates also had to pass under South Station's 7 tracks, which carried over 40,000 commuters
and 400 trains per day. To avoid multiple relocations of train lines while the tunneling advanced, as had been
initially planned, a specially designed jack was constructed to support the ground and tracks to allow the
excavation to take place below. Construction crews also used Ground freezing to help stabilize surrounding
ground as they excavated the tunnel. This was the largest tunneling project undertaken beneath railway lines
anywhere in the world. The ground freezing enabled safer, more efficient excavation, and also assisted in
environmental issues, as less contaminated fill needed to be exported than if a traditional cut-and-cover method
had been applied.[19]
Other challenges included an existing subway tunnel crossing the path of the underground highway. To build
slurry walls past this tunnel, it was necessary to dig beneath the tunnel and build an underground concrete
bridge to support the tunnel's weight.
Construction phase
The project was managed by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, with the Big Dig and the Turnpike's Boston
Extension from the 1960s being financially and legally joined by the legislature as the Metropolitan Highway
System.[20] Design and construction was supervised by a joint venture of

Bechtel Corporation and PB. Because of the enormous size of the
projecttoo large for any company to undertake alonethe design and
construction of the Big Dig were broken up into dozens of smaller
subprojects with well-defined interfaces between contractors. Major
heavy-construction contractors on the project included Jay Cashman,
Modern Continental, Obayashi Corporation, Perini Corporation, Peter
Kiewit Sons' Incorporated, J.F. White, and the Slattery division of
Skanska USA. (Of those, Modern Continental was awarded the greatest
gross value of contracts, joint ventures included.)
Construction sites of the "Big Dig"
The nature of the Charles River crossing had been a source of major
controversy throughout the design phase of the project. Many
environmental advocates preferred a river crossing entirely in tunnels, but this, along with 27 other plans, was
rejected as too costly. Finally, with a deadline looming to begin construction on a separate project that would
connect the Tobin Bridge to the Charles River crossing, Salvucci overrode the objections and chose a variant of
the plan known as "Scheme Z". This plan was considered to be reasonably cost-effective, but had the drawback
of requiring highway ramps stacked up as high as 100 feet (30 m) immediately adjacent to the Charles River.[21]
The city of Cambridge objected to the visual impact of the chosen Charles River crossing design. It sued to
revoke the project's environmental certificate and forced the project to redesign the river crossing again.[22]
Swiss Engineer Christian Menn took over the design of the

bridge. He suggested a sleek, modern, cable-stayed bridge
that would carry 10 lanes of traffic. The plan was accepted
and construction began on the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker
Hill Memorial Bridge. The bridge employed an
asymmetrical design and a hybrid of steel and concrete was
used to construct it. The distinctive bridge is supported by
two forked towers connected to the span by cables and Leonard P. Zakim Bridge
girders. It was the first bridge in the country to employ this
method and it is the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world.[10]
Meanwhile, construction continued on the Tobin Bridge approach. By the time all parties agreed on the I-93
design, construction of the Tobin connector (today known as the "City Square Tunnel" for a Charlestown area it
bypasses) was far along, significantly adding to the cost of constructing the U.S. 1 interchange and retrofitting
the tunnel.
Boston blue clay and other soils extracted from the path of the tunnel were used to cap many local landfills, fill
in the Granite Rail Quarry in Quincy, and restore the surface of Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands
National Recreation Area.
The Storrow Drive Connector, a companion bridge to the Zakim, began carrying traffic from I-93 to Storrow
Drive in 1999. The project had been under consideration for years, but was opposed by the wealthy residents of
the Beacon Hill neighborhood. However, it finally was accepted because it would funnel traffic bound for
Storrow Drive and downtown Boston away from the mainline roadway.[23] The Connector ultimately used a
pair of ramps that had been constructed for Interstate 695, enabling the mainline I-93 to carry more traffic that
would have used I-695 under the original Master Plan.
When construction began, the project cost, including the Charles River crossing, was estimated at $5.8 billion.
Eventual cost overruns were so high that the chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, James
Kerasiotes, was fired in 2000. His replacement had to commit to an $8.55 billion cap on federal contributions.
Total expenses eventually passed $15 billion. Interest brought this cost to $21.93 billion.
Engineering methods and details

Several unusual engineering challenges arose during the project,
requiring unusual solutions and methods to address them.
At the beginning of the project, engineers had to figure out the safest
way to build the tunnel without endangering the existing elevated
highway above. Eventually, they created horizontal braces as wide as the
tunnel, then cut away the elevated highway's struts, and lowered it onto
the new braces.[24]
Final phases
On January 17,
2003, the opening
ceremony was held
for the I-90
Connector Tunnel,
Temporary supports hold up elevated extending the
Central Artery during construction. Massachusetts
Turnpike (Interstate
90) east into the Ted Williams Tunnel, and onwards to Interstate 93 Tunnel
Logan Airport. The Ted Williams tunnel had been
completed and in limited use for commercial traffic and
high-occupancy vehicles since late 1995. The westbound lanes opened on the afternoon of January 18 and the
eastbound lanes on January 19.
The next phase, moving the elevated Interstate 93 underground, was completed in two stages: northbound lanes
opened in March 2003 and southbound lanes (in a temporary configuration) on December 20, 2003. A tunnel
underneath Leverett Circle connecting eastbound Storrow Drive to I-93 North and the Tobin Bridge opened
December 19, 2004, easing congestion at the circle. All southbound lanes of I-93 opened to traffic on March 5,
2005, including the left lane of the Zakim Bridge, and all of the refurbished Dewey Square Tunnel.
By the end of December 2004, 95% of the Big Dig was completed. Major construction remained on the surface,
including construction of final ramp configurations in the North End and in the South Bay interchange, and
reconstruction of the surface streets.
The final ramp downtown exit 20B from I-93 south to Albany Street opened January 13, 2006.[25]
In 2006, the two Interstate 93 tunnels were dedicated as the Thomas "Tip" O'Neill Tunnel, after the former
Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts who pushed to have the Big Dig
funded by the federal government.
Mitigation projects
Many environmental impact mitigation projects (transit, pedestrian,
bicycle, and parks) also remain. Although these were legal requirements
for approval of the environmental impact statement, many[citation needed]
are not funded because of the massive cost overruns on the highway
portion of the project. For example, though the North Point Park was
created as part of the project, it ended without constructing pedestrian
bridges to neighboring parks.[citation needed]
While not a legally mandated requirement, public art was part of the
urban design planning process (and later design development work)
through the Artery Arts Program. The intent of the program was to
integrate public art into highway infrastructure (retaining walls, fences, The "Big Dig" project in Boston
and lighting) and the essential elements of the pedestrian environment
(walkways, park landscape elements, and bridges). As overall project costs increased, the Artery Arts Program
was seen as a potential liability, even though there was support and interest from the public and professional
arts organizations in the area.
At the beginning of the highway design process, a temporary arts program was initiated and over 50 proposals
were selected. However, development began on only a few projects before funding for the program was cut.
Permanent public art that was funded includes: super graphic text and facades of former West End houses cast
into the concrete elevated highway abutment support walls near North Station by artist Sheila Levrant de
Bretteville; a historical sculpture about the 18th and 19th century shipbuilding industry and a bust of shipbuilder
Donald McKay in East Boston; blue interior lighting of the Zakim Bridge; and the Miller's River Littoral Way
walkway and lighting under the loop ramps north of the Charles River.
Extensive landscape planting, as well as a maintenance program to support the plantings, was requested by
many community members during public meetings.
Impact on traffic
Before the Big Dig, the Central Artery carried not only northsouth traffic but much eastwest traffic, a major
cause of its all-day congestion. The only direct access to Boston's Logan Airport from downtown was through
the paired Callahan and Sumner tunnels under Boston Harbor. To reach these tunnels, traffic on the major
highways from west of Bostonthe Massachusetts Turnpike and Storrow Drivetraveled on portions of the
Central Artery. Getting between the Central Artery and the tunnels also
involved short stretches on city streets, increasing local congestion and
causing backups on the highway.
The Big Dig untangled this co-mingled traffic. While only one net lane
in each direction was added to the northsouth I-93, several new east
west lanes became available. Eastwest traffic on the Massachusetts
Turnpike/I-90 now proceeds directly through the Ted Williams Tunnel
to Logan Airport and Route 1A beyond. Traffic between Storrow Drive
and the Callahan and Sumner Tunnels still uses a short portion of I-93,
but additional lanes and direct connections are provided for this traffic.
The result was a 62% reduction in vehicle hours of travel on I-93, the
airport tunnels, and the connection from Storrow Drive, from an average
38,200 hours per day before construction (19941995) to 14,800 hours
per day in 20042005, after the project was largely complete.[26] The
savings for travelers was estimated at $166 million annually in the same Traffic exiting the Big Dig tunnel
20042005 time frame.[27] Travel times on the Central Artery onto the Zakim Bridge.
northbound during the afternoon peak hour were reduced 85.6%.[28]
A 2008 Boston Globe report asserted that waiting time for the majority of trips actually increased as a result of
demand induced by the increased road capacity. Because more drivers were opting to use the new roads, traffic
bottlenecks were only pushed outward from the city, not reduced or eliminated (although some trips are now
faster). The report states, "Ultimately, many motorists going to and from the suburbs at peak rush hours are
spending more time stuck in traffic, not less." The Globe also asserted that their analysis provides a fuller
picture of the traffic situation than a state-commissioned study done two years ago, in which the Big Dig was
credited with helping to save at least $167 million a year by increasing economic productivity and decreasing
motor vehicle operating costs. That study did not look at highways outside the Big Dig construction area and
did not take into account new congestion elsewhere.[29]
Problems
"Thousands of leaks"
As far back as 2001, Turnpike Authority officials and private contractors knew of thousands of leaks in the
ceiling and wall fissures, extensive water damage to steel supports and fireproofing systems, and overloaded
drainage systems.[30] A $10 million contract, signed off as a cost overrun, was used to repair these leaks. Many
of the leaks were a result of Modern Continental and other subcontractors failing to remove gravel and other
debris before pouring concrete. This was not made publicly known to the media, but engineers at MIT
(volunteer students and professors) performed several experiments and found serious problems with the
tunnel.[31]
On September 15, 2004, a major leak in the Interstate 93 north tunnel forced the closure of the tunnel while
repairs were conducted. This also forced the Turnpike Authority to release information regarding its non-
disclosure of prior leaks. A follow-up reported on "extensive" leaks that were more severe than state authorities
had previously acknowledged. The report went on to state that the $14.6 billion tunnel system was riddled with
more than 400 leaks. A Boston Globe report, however, countered that by stating there were nearly 700 leaks in a
single 1,000-foot (300 m) section of tunnel beneath South Station. Turnpike officials also stated that the number
of leaks being investigated was down from 1,000 to 500.[31]
Substandard materials
Massachusetts State Police searched the offices of Aggregate Industries, the largest concrete supplier for the
underground portions of the project, in June 2005. They seized evidence that Aggregate delivered concrete that
did not meet contract specifications. In May 2006, six employees of the company were arrested and charged
with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Immediately after the arrests, Massachusetts Governor Mitt
Romney announced he would return $3,900 in political contributions from employees of Aggregate
Industries.[32]
On March 19, 2006, the International Herald Tribune reported that Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly
planned to sue project contractors and others because of poor work on the project. Over 200 complaints have
been filed by the state of Massachusetts as a result of leaks, cost overruns, quality concerns, and safety
violations. In total, the state is seeking approximately $100 million from the contractors ($1 for every $141
spent).[33]
Fatal ceiling collapse

Main article: Big Dig ceiling collapse
A fatal accident raised safety questions and closed part of the project for most of the summer of 2006. On July
10, 2006, a concrete ceiling panel weighing 3 tons (2722 kg) and measuring 20 by 40 ft (6.1 by 12.2 m) fell on a
car traveling on the two-lane ramp connecting northbound I-93 to eastbound I-90 in South Boston, killing
Milena Del Valle, who was a passenger, and injuring her husband, Angel Del Valle, who was driving.[10]
Immediately following the fatal ceiling collapse, Governor Mitt Romney ordered a stem-to-stern safety audit
conducted by the Illinois engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. to look for additional areas
of risk. Said Romney: "We simply cannot live in a setting where a project of this scale has the potential of
threatening human life, as has already been seen".[34] The collapse and closure of the tunnel greatly snarled
traffic in the city. The resulting traffic jams are cited as contributing to the death of another person, a heart
attack victim who died en route to Boston Medical Center when his ambulance was caught in one such traffic
jam two weeks after the collapse.[35] On September 1, 2006, one eastbound lane of the connector tunnel was re-
opened to traffic.[36][37]
Following extensive inspections and repairs, Interstate 90 east-and westbound lanes reopened in early January
2007.[38] The final piece of the road network, a high occupancy vehicle lane connecting Interstate 93 north to
the Ted Williams Tunnel, reopened on June 1, 2007.
On July 10, 2007, after a lengthy investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board found that epoxy glue
used to hold the roof in place during construction was not appropriate for long-term bonding.[39] This was
determined to be the cause of the roof collapse. The Power-Fast Epoxy Adhesive used in the installation was
designed for short-term loading, such as wind or earthquake loads, not long-term loading, such as the weight of
a panel.[40]
Powers Fasteners, the makers of the adhesive, revised their product specifications on May 15, 2007 to increase
the safety factor from 4 to 10 for all of their epoxy products intended for use in overhead applications. The
safety factor on Power-Fast Epoxy was increased from 4 to 16.[40] On December 24, 2007, the Del Valle family
announced they had reached a settlement with Power Fasteners that would pay the family $6 million.[41] In
December 2008, Power Fasteners agreed to pay $16 million to the state to settle manslaughter charges.[42]
Lighting fixtures
In March 2011, it came to light that senior MassDOT officials had been covering up an issue with the lighting
fixtures in the O'Neill tunnel. In early February 2011, a maintenance crew found a fixture laying in the middle
travel lane on the northbound tunnel.[43] Assuming it to be simple road debris, the maintenance team picked it
up and brought it back to its home facility. The next day, a supervisor passing through the yard realized that the
120 lb (54 kg) fixture was not road debris but was in fact one of the fixtures used to light the tunnel itself.
Further investigation revealed that the fixture's mounting apparatus has failed due to salt water corrosion. After
the discovery of the reason why the fixture had failed, a comprehensive inspection of the other fixtures in the
tunnel revealed the numerous other fixtures were also in the same state of deterioration. Moving forward with
temporary repairs, members of MassDOT administration team decided not let the news of the systemic failure
and repair of the fixtures be released to the public or Governor Deval Patrick's administration.[44]
See also
Cross City Tunnel similar project in Sydney, Australia
Dublin Port Tunnel similar project on a smaller scale in Ireland
Carmel Tunnels similar project in Haifa, Israel
Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Megaproject
Pork barrel legislation
Vincent Zarrilli critic of the Big Dig who proposed the Boston Bypass
Central-Wan Chai Bypass - similar project in the areas of Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay,
within Victoria City, Hong Kong
References
1. ^ LeBlanc, Steve (2007-12-26). "On December 31, It's Official: Boston's Big Dig Will Be Done"
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/25/AR2007122500600.html?nav=hcmoduletmv) . The
Washington Post. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/25/AR2007122500600.html?
nav=hcmoduletmv. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
2. ^ Ngowi, Rodrique (2007-12-25). "$6M Settlement in Big Dig Death" (http://enews.earthlink.net/article/nat?
guid=20071225/47708e50_3ca6_1552620071225-412521942) . Associated Press. http://enews.earthlink.net/article/nat?
guid=20071225/47708e50_3ca6_1552620071225-412521942. Retrieved 2007-12-25.

3. ^ Ross, Casey (2007-08-08). "Epoxy company hit with Big Dig indictment"
(http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1016016) . Boston Herald.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1016016. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
4. ^ "Review Begins After Big Dig Tunnel Collapse"
(http://web.archive.org/web/20060715075257/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/12/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html) .
CNN.com. 2006-07-12. Archived from the original (http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/12/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html)
on July 15, 2006.
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5. ^ http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10629&page=14
6. ^ a b "The Inflation calculator" (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/) . http://www.westegg.com/inflation/.
7. ^ Johnson, Glen (2006-07-13). "Governor seeks to take control of Big Dig inspections"
(http://web.archive.org/web/20070311201155/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/13/gov
ernor_seeks_to_take_control_of_big_dig_inspections) . Boston Globe. Archived from the original
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/13/governor_seeks_to_take_control_of_big_dig_ins
pections) on March 11, 2007.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070311201155/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/13/gove
rnor_seeks_to_take_control_of_big_dig_inspections. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
8. ^ Big Dig's red ink engulfs state
(http://www.boston.com/news/traffic/bigdig/articles/2008/07/17/big_digs_red_ink_engulfs_state/) , Boston Globe, July
17, 2008
9. ^ Contractors to settle Boston Big Dig suit for $450M (http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/296783) Toronto Star
January 23, 2008
10. ^ a b c Sigmund, Pete (2007-06-06). "Triumph, Tragedy Mark Boston's Big Dig Project" (http://cegltd.com/story.asp?
story=8751&headline=Triumph,%20Tragedy%20Mark%20Boston%E2%80%99s%20Big%20Dig%20Project) .
Construction Equipment Guide. http://cegltd.com/story.asp?
story=8751&headline=Triumph,%20Tragedy%20Mark%20Boston%E2%80%99s%20Big%20Dig%20Project. Retrieved
2007-12-10.
11. ^ "The Big Dig - Project Background" (http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/bigdig/projectbkg.aspx) .
Massachusetts Department of Transportation. http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/bigdig/projectbkg.aspx.
12. ^ Associated Press (December 20, 2003). "Bostons Big Dig opens to public" (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3769829) .
MSNBC. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3769829. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
13. ^ Green Line Extension Project (http://www.greenlineextension.org/)
14. ^ Red Line / Blue Line Connector (http://www.eot.state.ma.us/redblue/)
15. ^ The Arborway Committee (http://www.arborway.org/)
16. ^ Dan McNichol and Andy Ryan, The Big Dig. Silver Lining Press, 1991
17. ^ OIG Testimony CC-2005-027, "Impact of Water Leaks on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project and Remaining Risks"
18. ^ Palmer, Thomas (1994-06-21). "State Wins Federal OK to Start River-Crossing Part of Artery Project"
(http://web.archive.org/web/20071105064639/http://libraries.mit.edu/rotch/artery/boston_globe.htm#wins) . Boston
Globe. Archived from the original (http://libraries.mit.edu/rotch/artery/boston_globe.htm#wins) on 2007-11-05.
http://web.archive.org/web/20071105064639/http://libraries.mit.edu/rotch/artery/boston_globe.htm#wins. Retrieved
2007-12-10.
19. ^ Boston Central Artery Jacked Tunnels - Mott MacDonald Project Page (http://tunnels.mottmac.com/projects/?
mode=region&id=3418)
20. ^ MGL Chapter 81A, Section 3. (http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/81a-3.htm)
21. ^ Campbell, Robert (June 24, 1990). "Caution: High bridge ahead; Artery plan includes an awful scheme for a great wall
across the Charles". Boston Globe. "The grotesque monstrosity that will be the new Central Artery requires a certain
power of imagination to be grasped. Maybe that's why people are only now beginning to get upset about it."
22. ^ Palmer Jr, Thomas C. (March 12, 1995). "Cambridge sues to halt bridge plan". Boston Globe.
23. ^ "Leonard P. Zakim-Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge" (http://www.bostonroads.com/crossings/zakim/) .
BostonRoads.com. http://www.bostonroads.com/crossings/zakim/. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
24. ^ Boston's $14.8B Big Dig finally complete (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071225/ap_on_re_us/big_dig_the_end) , By
Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press, 12/25/07
25. ^ Ross, Casey (2006-01-14). "Hallelujah Hub drivers! Last Big Dig ramp done"
(http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/969503741.html?
dids=969503741:969503741&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+14%2C+2006&author=CASEY+ROSS&pub=B
oston+Herald&edition=&startpage=009&desc=Hallelujah+Hub+drivers!+Last+Big+Dig+ramp+done) . Boston Herald.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/969503741.html?
dids=969503741:969503741&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+14%2C+2006&author=CASEY+ROSS&pub=B
oston+Herald&edition=&startpage=009&desc=Hallelujah+Hub+drivers!+Last+Big+Dig+ramp+done. Retrieved 2006-
07-18.
26. ^ http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/downloads/financial/MTA-Economic-V1.pdf Transportation Impacts of
MTA and CAT project, February 2006, Table 3-6
MTA and CAT project, February 2006, p. 24
MTA and CAT project, February 2006, Table 3-1
29. ^ Murphy, Sean (2008-11-16). "Big Dig pushes bottlenecks outward"
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/16/big_dig_pushes_bottlenecks_outward/) . Boston Globe.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/16/big_dig_pushes_bottlenecks_outward/. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
30. ^ Report: Even More Big Dig Leaks Found - Big Dig News Story - WCVB Boston
(http://www.thebostonchannel.com/bigdig/3924866/detail.html)
31. ^ a b "Report: Even More Big Dig Leaks Found" (http://www.thebostonchannel.com/bigdig/3924866/detail.html) .
WCVB-TV. 2004-11-17. http://www.thebostonchannel.com/bigdig/3924866/detail.html. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
32. ^ "Romney to return contributions from Big Dig concrete workers"
(http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4868505&nav=F2DO) . WPRI.
http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4868505&nav=F2DO. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
33. ^ "State weighs suing 'Big Dig' contractors" (http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/19/news/notes.php) . International
Herald Tribune. 2006-03-20. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/19/news/notes.php. Retrieved 2006-07-17.
34. ^ Mishra, Raja (2006-08-17). "Governor names Ill. firm to lead Big Dig audit"
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/08/17/governor_names_ill_firm_to_lead_big_dig_audit/
) . Boston Globe.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/08/17/governor_names_ill_firm_to_lead_big_dig_audit/.
35. ^ "Man dies in tunnel backup"
(http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/591773/tunnel_horror__the_emergency/index.html) . Boston Herald. 2006-07-
27. http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/591773/tunnel_horror__the_emergency/index.html. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
36. ^ "Turnpike News" (http://web.archive.org/web/20061018110428/http://www.massturnpike.com/user-cgi/news.cgi?
dbkey=241&type=Press+Release&src=news) . Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. 2006-09-01. Archived from the
original (http://www.massturnpike.com/user-cgi/news.cgi?dbkey=241&type=Press%20Release&src=news) on October
18, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061018110428/http://www.massturnpike.com/user-cgi/news.cgi?
dbkey=241&type=Press+Release&src=news. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
37. ^ Taurasi, Elizabeth (2006-07-28]). "Boston's Big Dig One of Engineering's Biggest Mistakes?"
(http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6357443.html) . Design News.
http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6357443.html. Retrieved 2006-08-11. See WikiNews article here.
38. ^ "Mass. tunnel ceiling inspections ordered"
(http://web.archive.org/web/20070713070649/http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110AP_Big_Dig.html) . Seattle Post-
Intelligencer (SeattlePi.com). 2007-01-17. Archived from the original
(http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110AP_Big_Dig.html) on July 13, 2007.

http://web.archive.org/web/20070713070649/http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110AP_Big_Dig.html. Retrieved 2006-
01-07.
39. ^ "Safety Board Determines Cause of Boston's Big Dig Tunnel Ceiling Collapse Last Year"
(http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2007/070710b.htm) . ntsb.gov. 2007-10-05.
http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2007/070710b.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-12.
40. ^ a b "Power-Fast+ Epoxy Adhesive System" (http://www.powers.com/product_08402.html) . powers.com.
http://www.powers.com/product_08402.html. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
41. ^ Woolhouse, Megan (2007-12-24). "Settlement reached in Big Dig death"
(http://www.boston.com/news/traffic/bigdig/articles/2007/12/24/settlement_reached_in_big_dig_death/?
p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed1) . Boston Globe.
http://www.boston.com/news/traffic/bigdig/articles/2007/12/24/settlement_reached_in_big_dig_death/?
p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed1. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
42. ^ Murphy, Sean (2008-12-17). "Manslaughter charges dismissed in Big Dig collapse"
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/12/manslaughter_ch_1.html) . The Boston Globe.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/12/manslaughter_ch_1.html. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
43. ^ Moskowitz, Eric (16 March 2011). "State says some light fixtures in Big Dig tunnels are flawed"
(http://articles.boston.com/2011-03-16/news/29350222_1_tunnels-fixtures-fluorescent-lights) . Boston Globe.
http://articles.boston.com/2011-03-16/news/29350222_1_tunnels-fixtures-fluorescent-lights. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
44. ^ Murphy, Sean P.; Allen, Scott (12 July 2011). "Worries about lights were kept in the dark"
(http://articles.boston.com/2011-07-10/news/29758587_1_light-fixture-tunnels-state-engineers) . Boston Globe.
http://articles.boston.com/2011-07-10/news/29758587_1_light-fixture-tunnels-state-engineers. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
External links
Official site (http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/bigdig/bigdigmain.aspx)
Project map (http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/images/bigdig/completion_lg.jpeg)
Boston CA/T Project History at MIT Rotch Library (http://libraries.mit.edu/rotch/artery/)
Steve Anderson's BostonRoads.com (http://bostonroads.com)
PBS.org (http://pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/central_artery.html) Central Artery
Powell, Michael, "Boston's Big Dig Awash in Troubles" (http://washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/articles/A61112-2004Nov18.html) , Washington Post, 2004-11-19, Retrieved on August 9, 2006.
Consulting services (http://www.rwdi.com/project/boston_central_artery) performed by RWDI
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig"

Categories: Tunnels in Massachusetts | Transportation in Boston, Massachusetts | U.S. Route 1 | Interstate 93 |
North End, Boston | Buildings and structures in Boston, Massachusetts | Engineering projects
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Big Dig - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 8/14/11 9:36 AM

Coordinates: 42.36197N 71.05562W

Cancellation of the inner belt

Clearances for I-95 through the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Jamaica

System.[20] Design and construction was supervised by a joint venture of

Swiss Engineer Christian Menn took over the design of the

Engineering methods and details

reconstruction of the surface streets.

Fatal ceiling collapse

guid=20071225/47708e50_3ca6_1552620071225-412521942. Retrieved 2007-12-25.

(http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110AP_Big_Dig.html) on July 13, 2007.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig"

This page was last modified on 3 August 2011 at 18:36.

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