The Sumner Tunnel shall be shut down fully for 2 months this summer time, about half of the time initially deliberate, for the continued restoration of a serious thoroughfare into downtown Boston.
But the abbreviated schedule this 12 months means one other comparable shutdown will happen subsequent summer time, additional impacting journey for drivers who’ve already handled weekend closures since June, in accordance with an announcement from MassDOT.
Drivers shall be unable to entry the 90-year-old tunnel for eight and a half weeks, from July 5 to Aug. 31. Initially, the tunnel was set for a four-month closure, from May to Sept. 4, MassDOT mentioned.
“Since launching the Sumner Tunnel restoration project last year, we have been working closely with our contractor to identify every opportunity to reduce travel impact,” mentioned Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver in an announcement.
“Breaking up the full closure for only eight and a half weeks this summer, rather than four months, significantly benefits regional travelers, local businesses and area residents.”
This interval between July 4 and Labor Day traditionally has the bottom site visitors volumes of the 12 months, and happens when college is out of session, “making it much more manageable for traffic management,” in accordance with a MassDOT assertion.
Weekend disruptions will proceed till the complete closure begins on July 5. The tunnel shall be shut down for the same two-month interval subsequent summer time, as a part of the $156.6 million development challenge.
MassDOT is forming a challenge mitigation working group, which can embrace stakeholders impacted by the complete tunnel closure, akin to public transportation entities, public security organizations, municipalities and nonprofits.
State Sen. Lydia Edwards mentioned she expects to be a part of this working group, because the north-of-Boston district she represents, which incorporates East Boston, Revere and Winthrop, is essentially the most impacted by the Sumner Tunnel closures.
Edwards mentioned the weekend closures “are still difficult,” and hopes the revised schedule, which delays a full shutdown by two months, will present sufficient time for sure mitigation measures to be applied.
“My biggest concern, and most people’s biggest concern is what’s going to happen when it’s full-time, and how we’re going to make sure that emergency vehicles can still move as fast as possible,” Edwards mentioned.
She want to see a regional ferry that may service downtown Boston, Lynn, Quincy and Winthrop residents by this summer time.
Edwards has additionally pushed without spending a dime MBTA Blue Line service, low or free commuter rail fares and extra frequency on strains coming into Boston from the north, entry to sure parking heaps on Route 1A and at Suffolk Downs, and a contra-flow lane within the Ted Williams and Callahan tunnels.
“Use this opportunity, not just to fix the Sumner Tunnel,” she mentioned. “I’d be disenchanted if on the finish of the day, in any case this, all we now have is a tunnel the identical measurement because it was earlier than, that’s simply repaired.
“Instead think big. Use this opportunity where we’re slowing down traffic, where we’re doing all these things, to build bigger beyond that.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”