Sumner Tunnel closures begin, snarling traffic
BOSTON - A massive traffic mess around Boston on Saturday was caused by the first weekend of work on the Sumner Tunnel.
Nine months of part-time work on the tunnel started Saturday. The heavily used tunnel will be closed on weekends for the next 36 weeks while repairs and renovations will be done on the 88-year-old tunnel.
Drivers from East Boston and spots farther north will have to take a detour to get to downtown Boston. The tunnel will reopen at 5 a.m. on Mondays.
MassDOT said the project will fix a list of issues:
- Chipped and crumbling concrete
- Rusted reinforcements
- Cracked wall panels
- Broken light fixtures
- Deteriorating roadway
Although the Sumner will be closing on the weekends, to start, the adjacent Callahan Tunnel will remain open. This means drives in downtown heading outbound will not be impacted.
When this phase of weekend closures is complete, MassDOT said the tunnel will move into its next phase where it will close seven days a week for a period of four months to finish the work.