Two views of the Sumner Tunnel in Boston: at left, with construction work underway, and at right, after most work was completed.
Boston's Sumner Tunnel will no longer need to be closed on weekends, as the major rehabilitation project that's required the key roadway to repeatedly close, including for extended stretches in each of the last two summers, is nearly complete, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Those closures have snarled traffic headed into Boston, affecting residents of East Boston, travelers to and from Logan International Airport and more.
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But work is ahead of schedule, and this weekend became the last one for which the tunnel had to be closed, officials announced Monday. The final repair work on minor issues will take place under what the Department of Transportation referred to as normal operations for off-peak times.
"The Sumner Tunnel Restoration Project was a hugely important effort that ensures this vital piece of infrastructure is in the best possible condition going forward," MassDOT Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt said in a statement. "We know this project created inconveniences for the public and particularly the people of East Boston. We thank them for their patience and cooperation."
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The two-year repair project could have included five more weekend closures, into mid-November, officials said.
MassDOT shared these numbers on the project, which extends the useful life of the tunnel, one of a handful of crossings under the Charles River, by at least 75 years.
- 59 weekend closures: Friday from 11:00 p.m. to Monday Morning 5:00 a.m.
- 2023 summer shutdown: July 5 to August 31, 2023 = 57 Days
- 2024 summer shutdown: July 5 to August 5, 2024 = 31 Days
- 13,516 square yards of concrete roadway was rehabilitated
- 4307 tons of asphalt paving was laid
- 420 linear feet of granite curbing was replaced
- 69 new drainage inlets were installed
- 165,000 square feet of fireboard was installed
- 3,800 dropped ceiling panels were removed
- 735 precast arch segments and 146 precast ceiling slabs were installed, each weighing well over six tons
- 502 new light fixtures installed
- 42,800 linear feet of conductor installed
- 24,000 linear feet of fiber optic cable installed
