MEMORANDUM
TO:
FR:
RE:
DA:
Richard A. Davey, Secretary & CEO
Frank DePaola, Highway Division Administrator
Ongoing Work in the MHS Tunnels
April 20, 2012
To follow is a summary of maintenance and construction activities performed over the
last week in the Metropolitan Highway System tunnels.
Please feel free to contact me if you need additional information.
Overnight work:
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Contractors continue to make repairs to tunnel joints in the area of Ramp R-T,
linking Essex Street to I-93 Northbound. The work is part of MassDOT’s
ongoing efforts to repair water infiltration. Water infiltration repairs to nearby
Ramp A-CN are ongoing. Work is also occurring in the Northbound side of the
O’Neill Tunnel itself.
Additional water infiltration repair work is occurring at Ramp CN-SA, near Exit
26 from I-93 Northbound, Ramp SA-CS (Surface Artery Southbound to I-93
Southbound), Ramp CS-P (I-93 Southbound to Purchase Street) in the area of Exit
23, Ramp S-N (Leverett Circle to I-93 Northbound), Ramp L-CS (Leverett Circle
to I-93 Southbound) and Ramp SA-CT (Surface Artery Southbound to Callahan
Tunnel).
MassDOT replaced 8 cases of lamps and six ballasts in the HOV Tunnel.
MassDOT also replaced 6 cases of lamps and three ballasts in the Ted Williams
Tunnel Westbound.
A contractor is continuing substructure repairs in the Storrow Tunnel Westbound
under Leverett Circle. This work is scheduled to last through the end of the
summer.
MassDOT has an ongoing routine inspection underway throughout the tunnel
system. That ongoing inspection will require periodic closures of various parts of
the system to allow for better access by inspectors. Last week’s inspection work
included inspections of the Connector Tunnel (both directions), I-93 Northbound
near the exit portal, and the Prudential Tunnel Westbound.
A contractor is also performing a routine ceiling inspection in the I-90 Connector
Tunnel Eastbound and in the Prudential Tunnel Eastbound.
A contractor continues to install conduit for fiber optic cables on the South wall of
the Prudential Tunnel Eastbound.
A contractor continued milling pavement in the Prudential Tunnel Westbound.
Milling is grinding and removing pavement from the roadway so that repairs can
be made below the wearing surface of the roadway. Repairs to the concrete slab
have also begun. The contractor is also sounding concrete to determine where
there may be weak concrete in need of repair.
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A contractor cleaned trench drains in the area of Tunnel ST-S (Sumner Tunnel to
Storrow Drive).
A contractor is inspecting the drain grates throughout the I-93 Tunnels (both
directions). The contractor is in the process of replacing these grates. The
contractor tightened bolts on grates on ramps SA-CN linking the Sumner Tunnel
to I-93 Northbound, and ST-CN, Cross Street to I-93 Northbound. The contractor
is also inspecting grates in Tunnel S-N (Storrow Drive Eastbound to Northbound
Leverett Ramp) and the Dewey Square Tunnel.
MassDOT repaired two cameras in the HOV Tunnel.
MassDOT placed pavement striping at Ramp L-CS (Leverett Circle to I-93
Southbound) as part of spring maintenance.
MassDOT and the Massachusetts State Police inspected the Prudential Tunnel
Eastbound in the area of Exit 22. MSP was monitoring activity by homeless
individuals, and clearing those individuals from the tunnel system.
MassDOT performed a routine inspection of the jet fans in the Ted Williams
Tunnel Westbound.
MassDOT is in the process of installing a new carbon monoxide detection and
monitoring system in the City Square (CANA) Tunnel Northbound. MassDOT
recently installed a similar system in the Prudential Tunnel (both directions).
A MassDOT maintenance crew removed handrail studs from the top of the safety
catwalk in the I-93 Northbound Tunnel. This work is in conjunction with
MassDOT’s efforts to remove certain handrails in the MHS tunnels. The studs
that remained after removal of the rails posed a tripping hazard. Removal of
those studs will continue as the handrails are removed in selected areas.