MEMORANDUM
TO:
FR:
RE:
DA:
Richard A. Davey, Secretary & CEO
Frank DePaola, Highway Division Administrator
Ongoing Work in the MHS Tunnels
August 8, 2014
To follow is a summary of maintenance and construction activities performed last week
in the Metropolitan Highway System Tunnels.
Overnight work:
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Contractors are repairing water infiltration at multiple points within the O’Neill
Tunnel (both directions) and on related ramps.
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.
MassDOT assisted a contractor in implementing the Traffic Management Plan for the
Commonwealth Avenue Bridge repair project. The plan reduces I-90 to 3 lanes in
each direction at that bridge project, allowing work to occur behind barriers. The
contractor missed one step of the process on the Westbound side and was directed to
correct it.
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 is repairing a cast-in-place barrier in the Ted Williams Tunnel
Westbound.
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.
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MassDOT workers repaired the pan/tilt/zoom unit on a traffic camera and cleaned the
lenses of four nearby cameras. The work occurred near Ramp ST-SA/CN (Sumner
Tunnel to Surface Artery and Sumner Tunnel to I-93 Northbound).
MassDOT workers repaired one traffic camera and cleaned the lenses of ten more in
the Sumner Tunnel.
MassDOT workers recalibrated a carbon monoxide detector at Ramp CN-SA (I-93
Northbound, Exit 23, Government Center).
MassDOT workers replaced six cases of bulbs and 2 ballasts in the Prudential Tunnel
Eastbound.
MassDOT workers replaced nine cases of bulbs and 1 ballast in the Ted Williams
Tunnel Eastbound.
AT&T was granted access to the Sumner Tunnel to pull a cable through the tunnel in
preparation for future cellular communications upgrades. The work required a lane
closure.