Big Dig update: nothing but bad news

Is there any positive news, at all, about the Boston tunnel system? Here are some stories making the rounds today.

Boston Globe – “Massport rejects parts of Big Dig”: “The Massachusetts Port Authority is refusing to take ownership of a 3/4-mile section of the Ted Williams Tunnel and a nearby elevated ramp leading into Logan International Airport, saying the structures are in poor condition and require significant repairs, according to documents obtained by the Globe.”

Boston Globe – “Original plan had lighter tunnel ceiling”: “The Interstate 90 connector tunnel was originally intended to have a much lighter ceiling than the one that caved in and killed a woman on July 10, according to the state engineer overseeing tunnel safety inspections. But, partway through the tunnel construction, managers of the Big Dig project switched to a design that called for a heavier concrete ceiling that would be less expensive and easier to install, said Alexander Bardow , state director of bridges and structures.”

Boston Herald – “Big Dig technician reveals: I witnessed bolt failures”: “A Big Dig technician says he witnessed critical bolt failures in the mid-1990s during installation of Ted Williams Tunnel ceilings and started photographing construction because of concerns about a possible disaster. The technician, whose job was to test the strength of ceiling fixtures, revealed shocking photographs to the Herald yesterday that show workers in the Ted Williams Tunnel using methods to install epoxy bolts that were flagged as problematic by inspectors.”

Washington Times – “Ceiling collapse tip of Big Dig problems”: “So many setbacks have plagued Boston's Big Dig during its 15-year history that a more appropriate nickname for the $14.6 billion underground highway project might be the Big Debacle.”

That’s $14.6 billion and counting, but at least we saved money on those cheaper ceiling panels.