Traffic is expected to be heavily impacted by the upcoming monthlong Sumner Tunnel closure beginning next week, transit officials say. The tunnel will be closed to traffic from July 5 to Aug. 5. The closure is part of a $160 million rehabilitation project for the nearly 100-year-old tunnel.Transportation officials expressed optimism about the upcoming closure.”If you’re looking at last year as a benchmark as far as how well it went, we were really happy with it,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. Gulliver warned of the potential impacts of the closure. “If you’re a commuter going in and out of East Boston or if you are someone trying to get to Logan Airport, you should expect some impacts,” he said.”There’s a lot of ways for people to get in and around the city during that one month closure that does not include driving,” Gulliver said.These efforts include:Free trips on the MBTA Blue LineFree reduced-cost ferry tripsFree and reduced parking at MBTA and commuter rail lotsDiscounted tolls for residents who need to drive over the Tobin Bridge and through the Ted Williams TunnelGulliver emphasized the importance of reserving road capacity. “Really use caution if you’re going to try to get in the car and drive,” he said. “Our much preferred way of you getting around is to look at those mass transit options we’re providing.”Last year, work was done to repair the tunnel’s ceiling. This year, the focus is on the driving surface. MassDOT officials say time already spent in the tunnel allowed engineers to cut this year’s closure in half from two months to just one. “We’ve reconfigured milestones with the contractor to really compress a lot of the schedule as much as possible,” Gulliver said. After Aug. 5, there will be a series of weekend closures for the Sumner Tunnel, however many are needed to finish the work. Gulliver aims to wrap up all weekend closures by Thanksgiving.Once completed, the lifespan of the tunnel should be extended for at least another 75 years.
Traffic is expected to be heavily impacted by the upcoming monthlong Sumner Tunnel closure beginning next week, transit officials say.
The tunnel will be closed to traffic from July 5 to Aug. 5. The closure is part of a $160 million rehabilitation project for the nearly 100-year-old tunnel.
Transportation officials expressed optimism about the upcoming closure.
“If you’re looking at last year as a benchmark as far as how well it went, we were really happy with it,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver.
Gulliver warned of the potential impacts of the closure.
“If you’re a commuter going in and out of East Boston or if you are someone trying to get to Logan Airport, you should expect some impacts,” he said.
“There’s a lot of ways for people to get in and around the city during that one month closure that does not include driving,” Gulliver said.
These efforts include:
- Free trips on the MBTA Blue Line
- Free reduced-cost ferry trips
- Free and reduced parking at MBTA and commuter rail lots
- Discounted tolls for residents who need to drive over the Tobin Bridge and through the Ted Williams Tunnel
Gulliver emphasized the importance of reserving road capacity.
“Really use caution if you’re going to try to get in the car and drive,” he said. “Our much preferred way of you getting around is to look at those mass transit options we’re providing.”
Last year, work was done to repair the tunnel’s ceiling. This year, the focus is on the driving surface. MassDOT officials say time already spent in the tunnel allowed engineers to cut this year’s closure in half from two months to just one.
“We’ve reconfigured milestones with the contractor to really compress a lot of the schedule as much as possible,” Gulliver said.
After Aug. 5, there will be a series of weekend closures for the Sumner Tunnel, however many are needed to finish the work. Gulliver aims to wrap up all weekend closures by Thanksgiving.
Once completed, the lifespan of the tunnel should be extended for at least another 75 years.
