Next week MassDOT will make detour maps available to Charlestown residents regarding the upcoming Callahan Tunnel closure. The Callahan Tunnel connects Boston to East Boston and points north along the Route 1A corridor. It is one of two Boston Harbor Tunnels that connect downtown to Logan International Airport.
The tunnel is slated to close for three months beginning on December 27 and will be closed through March 12, 2014. MassDOT’s John Romano said Charlestown residents can send questions regarding the tunnel’s closure to [email protected]. Residents can also sign up to be on MassDOT’s mailing list at that email address. Residents can access project details and detour maps next week by visiting www.mass.gov/massdot/CallahanTunnelRehab.
The tunnel closure by MassDOT begins a $34.9 million project to rehab the 52-year old tunnel’s deck, curb line, gutters and replace the tunnel’s wall panels.
The Government Center project, which was slated to coincide with the Callahan Tunnel project, has been pushed back to March so the tunnel can be completed first.
After removing 117 wall panels from the Callahan Tunnel in December 2013 and an additional two-dozen panels from the adjoining Sumner Tunnel, MassDOT decided to remove all 2,400 panels from the Callahan.
The removal of the panels came after a 100 lb. wall panel in the tunnel fell off the wall of the tunnel and landed in the road. The panels, which date back to the 1990s, are 9 ft. by 4 ft. and replaced older panels in order to give the tunnel a better look and reflect light for improved visibility in the tunnel for motorists.
After the panel fell, MassDOT was forced to shut down the Callahan so inspectors could perform a ‘pull test’ on the panels that line the tunnel.
After the inspections it was found that 117 panels did not pass the pull test.