Boston’s Callahan Tunnel Closes For Repairs

Boston’s Callahan Tunnel closed for repairs at 11 pm Friday.

The 52-year-old tunnel, which brings drivers from the North End to Logan Airport, will remain closed until March 12 for the first phase of a $35 million rehabilitation project. The tunnel will receive a new deck and curb during its closure, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said.

“All involved in the project recognize that there is no truly convenient way or time to work on such a heavily used and important piece of infrastructure,” MassDOT said.

From Saturday to January 4, workers will demolish the curb and work near the North End entrance and East Boston end of the tunnel, MassDOT said. From January 5 to January 11, workers will begin demolition of the concrete deck and continue to demolish the curb.

McCourt Construction’s contract states that it will receive $71,500 per day if the project finishes early. If the project goes past its March 12 end date, the company will be charged $71,500 per day, Transportation Department spokesman Mike Verseckes said.

The Callahan Tunnel carries about 30,000 cars on an average weekday, and state transportation officials expect heavier traffic through the Ted Williams Tunnel, which connects to Logan from the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Transportation officials are urging drivers to use the MBTA or Logan Express buses to get to the airport while the Callahan Tunnel is closed. The Sumner Tunnel, which carries traffic from the airport to downtown Boston, will remain open.

MassDOT said it was pleased with how traffic has flowed since the tunnel closed, but recognized that there was a lighter volume because it was the weekend. Officials said the transition appears to have gone smoothly, but that they are keeping an eye on how the Callahan Tunnel closure affects weekday commutes.

“We did not take this decision lightly to close the tunnel but I think it is endemic of what we have here with our infrastructure in Massachusetts,” Transportation Secretary Richard Davies said.

[Photo credit: David, Bergin, Emmet and Elliot / Flickr]