TO : Richard A. Davey, Secretary & CEO
FR : Frank DePaola, Highway Division Administrator
RE : Ongoing Work in the MHS Tunnels
DA : August 22, 2014
To follow is a summary of maintenance and construction activities performed last week in the Metropolitan Highway System Tunnels.
Overnight work:
•
Contractors are repairing water infiltration at multiple points within the O’Neill
Tunnel (both directions) and on related ramps. Recent work included slurry wall repairs and repair and replacement of fireproofing materials.
•
Water infiltration repair work is also underway in the I-90 Connector Tunnel (both directions) and the Ted Williams Tunnel Eastbound.
•
A contractor working on behalf of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority is performing ongoing ceiling-related construction in the Prudential Tunnel. The contractor is also installing new fireproofing materials. The contractor continues to repair the walls and remove supplemental steel and concrete, which requires periodic lane closures. The contractor has also begun installing a netting system to catch any debris that could come loose over time as the result of vibrations in the tunnel. The nets are designed to prevent debris from falling to the roadway.
•
A contractor working on behalf of the owner of the Prudential Center continued work on the ceiling of the Prudential Tunnel Westbound. This is a different section of the ceiling than what has been noted above.
•
MassDOT continued the Callahan Tunnel rehabilitation with repairs to the tunnel wall and installation of the wall panel support system. The tunnel re-opened in
March; rehabilitation work continues with periodic lane closures and occasional full closures as needed. There were three full overnight closures last week.
•
A contractor performed a routine inspection of portions of the I-93 Southbound
Tunnel and related ramps. A contractor also performed a similar inspection on the
Northbound side. Contractors are also inspecting the Eastbound and Westbound tunnel sets.
•
A contractor continued repairs to the roadway wearing surface near the entry portal of the Ted Williams Tunnel Westbound. The contractor is also making similar repairs at the Eastbound entry portal.
•
A contractor performed test borings below the roadway near Dalton Street. The work is part of the preparation for the future Dalton Street Bridge replacement project. The work was performed in conjunction with previously scheduled lane closures in the I-
90 Eastbound Tunnel.
•
MassDOT plumbers continue to charge and test standpipes throughout the MHS
Tunnel system. Recent charging and testing occurred in the Prudential Tunnel
Eastbound.

•
MassDOT workers replaced a portion of a hose on a carbon monoxide monitor in the
Ted Williams Tunnel Eastbound. The hose had become clogged with particulates.
•
A contractor continued repair work on a barrier in the Ted Williams Tunnel
Westbound. The barrier is being demolished and replaced. The work is necessary because of ordinary wear and tear over the life of the tunnel, complicated by the freeze-thaw cycle. The barrier is near expansion joints, and the shifting of the joints was a contributing factor as well .
•
MassDOT workers replaced a traffic camera and cleaned the lenses of seven nearby cameras in the Ted Williams Tunnel Eastbound.