TO : Richard A. Davey, Secretary & CEO
FR : Frank DePaola, Highway Division Administrator
RE : Ongoing Work in the MHS Tunnels
DA : February 1, 2013
To follow is a summary of maintenance and construction activities performed over the last two weeks in the Metropolitan Highway System tunnels.
Please feel free to contact me if you need additional information.
Overnight work:
•
MassDOT staff has completed removal of all the wall panels in the Callahan
Tunnel. A wall panel in the Callahan Tunnel fell onto the roadway on December
21. There were no injuries and there was no vehicle damage. As a result of the incident, MassDOT closed the Callahan and performed load tests on all 2,400 wall panels. MassDOT removed a total of 121 wall panels (three adjacent to the panel that fell, plus 117 additional panels as a result of the load tests—any panels that loosened even the slightest bit during the inspection). MassDOT then decided to remove all the wall panels. This ensures that no panels fall to the roadway and also allows us to prepare for replacement of all the panels. The panels will stay off the wall as MassDOT designs a project to rehabilitate the entire tunnel in early 2014. The Callahan is due for its first quarterly pull-test in
March.
•
MassDOT is continuing installation of supplemental straps to the overhead lights throughout the MHS Tunnels. These straps were originally placed in 2011 as a safety precaution after a light fell to the roadway early in 2011. There were no injuries and no vehicles were damaged in that incident. MassDOT is adding additional straps to each light as a further safety precaution. Recent strapping work was performed in the I-93 Tunnel in both directions.
•
A contractor repaired water infiltration at various points in the I-93 Tunnel (both directions). The contractor coordinated efforts with MassDOT electricians working in the same areas on supplemental strapping of overhead lights (see item above).
•
A contractor removed wall panels in the Sumner Tunnel to gain access for an upcoming water infiltration repair contract.
•
MassDOT reinstalled a ventilation fan motor in the I-90 Westbound Tunnel. The motor was repaired outside the tunnel, and then replaced.
•
MassDOT repaired crash attenuators in the I-90 Eastbound Tunnel, near Exit 22
(Copley Square).
•
A private contractor, working on behalf of Boston Properties, the owner of the
Prudential Center, is continuing ceiling repairs in the Prudential Tunnel
Eastbound.

•
A contractor inspected a section of the I-90 Eastbound Connector Tunnel.
•
A contractor continues to repair the median in the Prudential Tunnel and in the area of I-90 East of the tunnel. This project is nearing completion, with the contractor addressing punchlist items.
•
A contractor is continuing to pull-test the ceiling anchors in the Ted Williams
Tunnel Westbound. The contractor is doing preliminary testing on the ceiling hangers in both directions, and will install a supplemental ceiling hanger system.