MassDOT to Motorists: Plan Ahead for I-93 Restrictions through Boston
Complete Overnight Closure of I-93 Southbound is Thursday, December 26 into Friday, December 27
This coming Thursday, overnight into Friday, December 27, preparations for the closure of the Callahan Tunnel require the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to conduct a complete lane closure of Interstate 93 Southbound through Boston from 11pm to 5am.
During the closure crews will install signage to support the Callahan closure detours. To learn about the rehabilitation and closure of the Callahan Tunnel, which begins at 11pm on Friday, December 27, visit the project webpage: www.mass.gov/massdot/callahantunnelrehab
I-93 SOUTHBOUND traffic will be detoured off of the highway at Exit 28 in Somerville onto surface streets and allowed to re-enter I-93 Southbound at the Haymarket on-ramp. Traffic destined for Logan Airport and East Boston will follow the posted detour via 93 Southbound Exit 18 and the Ted Williams Tunnel.
The Callahan Tunnel is 52 years old and in need of a full rehabilitation of its deck. Work on the deck will include grinding the deck down to its steel supports called floorbeams and pouring a new deck. The interconnected curb, which includes air exchange vents, has deteriorated through the years and will also be replaced. All of the tunnels wall panels will be replaced as well.
In order to minimize the duration of mobility impacts, project engineers have compressed the total project duration using three phases of construction. In Phase One, the tunnel will be closed up for two and a half months (from December 27, 2013 until March 12, 2013) to replace the deck and curb. The contract between MassDOT and the builder provides significant incentives if the tunnel is reopened early and major disincentives in the unlikely event that the tunnel is opened late. The second phase of work is primarily the wall panel replacement. During this phase, from March 13, 2014 to late August 2014, the tunnel will be open and no work will be performed during the day, but the tunnel will be closed from 11 PM to 5 AM to allow the contractor to replace the wall panels. From August to mid-November, 2014, the Phase Three finish work will be performed during off peak hours.
Did you signup to be on the Callahan E-mail blast list? If not send an e-mail to callahan.tunnel@state.ma.us and request to be added to the list.
