Fifteen billion dollars and one death later

Boston Globe: "Leakage in Big Dig tunnel rises - 3 years after promise, more water getting in"

Almost three years after state managers vowed to close thousands of leaks in the Big Dig tunnels, nearly 2 million gallons of water flow each month through the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel, an 18 percent increase over last year, a Globe analysis shows.

The water is worrisome because it shows that the concerted efforts by the state to plug leaks in the $15 billion project are only marginally effective, at best, and may mean heavy maintenance costs for years to come.

On top of that, lawyers for Milena Del Valle's family are seeking record damages for her unlawful death caused by a falling tunnel ceiling slab. I'm doubtful that an underground tunnel can avoid collapse over time with two million gallons of water flowing through every month. When the tunnel was originally planned (with a $2.6 billion budget) it was estimated that only 36,000 gallons of water would leak through each month. Not so good.