Gridlock and a Break for Tunnel Motorists

By LAURA CRIMALDI

Big Dig motorists faced a mixed bag of traffic woes and relief yesterday as a water leak shut down a portion of the southbound side of an Interstate 93 tunnel while another ramp to I-90 east reopened.

A portion of I-93 south in the Thomas “Tip” O’Neill Tunnel was closed for more than four hours yesterday beginning at 10:30 a.m. after two sprinklers burst at 257 Congress St., a Massachusetts Turnpike Authority building located above Exit 20, said Jon Carlisle, a spokesman for the Executive Office of Transportation.

“Two lanes were impacted and the whole thhing was shut down,” said Carlisle. “That was reopened right around three o’clock.”

Despite detours that sent motorists onto surface roads, the leak brought traffic to a standstill on I-93 south while crews used pumps to get the water off the road.

The overhead sprinkler leak has nothing to do with other leak problems discovered in the same tunnel in 2004, Carlisle said.

In other Big Dig news, a direct connection from I-93 north to I- 90 east toward Logan International Airport known as Ramp L reopened early yesterday morning.

The ramp had been closed since the death of motorist Milena Del Valle, who was crushed by falling concrete ceiling panels in the I- 90 eastbound connector tunnel in July.

Big Dig officials said the ramp, used by 22,000 drivers daily, was reopened after the ceiling panel hanger system was reinforced.

to this report.

CAPTION: MAYHEM: Traffic backs up in the I-93 southbound tunnel yesterday after it was closed for repairs. STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GOLDMAN

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