This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2009) |
The entrance to the tunnel just past I-93 Southbound Exit 24B to Logan Airport. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Status | Open |
| Route | Route 1A north |
| Start | Downtown Boston |
| End | East Boston |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | high-strength steel and concrete infill |
| Opened | November 11, 1961 |
| Owner | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Operator | Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
| Toll | Between $0.20 and $2.05 depending on payment method and residency |
| Technical | |
| Length | 0.96 mi (1.54 km) |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| Operating speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
| Tunnel clearance | 13.4 ft (4.1 m) |
| Width | 24.2 ft (7.4 m) |
The Lieutenant William F. Callahan Jr. Tunnel (colloquially Callahan Tunnel) is one of four tunnels, and one of three road tunnels, beneath Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts. It carries motor vehicles from the North End to Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston. Ordinarily, this tunnel is only used to carry traffic out of the city, and with the completion of the Big Dig it only collects traffic from I-93 southbound (right after traffic merges from Storrow Drive) and downtown Boston; northbound traffic uses the Ted Williams Tunnel. As of 2016, a toll of $1.50 is charged for non-commercial two-axle vehicles with a Massachusetts E-ZPass, while non-Massachusetts E-ZPass holders are charged $1.75. Vehicles without E-ZPass are charged $2.05 through MassDOT's Pay By Plate MA program. For residents of certain Boston ZIP codes, a discount is in effect using an E-ZPass transponder, costing $0.20.
Alternatives
Traffic flowing between Logan International Airport and directions south of the city on I-93 and west of the city on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) normally uses the Ted Williams Tunnel rather than the Callahan and Sumner Tunnels. Airport traffic can also use East Boston surface roads to and from Chelsea (Chelsea Street Bridge), Revere (Massachusetts Route 1A) and Winthrop (Massachusetts Route 145).
History
The Sumner Tunnel was opened on June 30, 1934. It carried traffic in both directions It was named for William H. Sumner, the son of Governor Increase Sumner.
The Cahlahn tunnel was opened in 1960. It was named for the son of Turnpike chairman William F. Callahan, who was killed in Italy days before the end of World War II. Upon the opening, the old tunnel was given a rehibaitieated claiming.
Both tunnels had their ceilings replaced as part of work started in 1989. This was after it had been became apparent that they were poorly designed. These were competed in the early 1990s.
The Summer tunnel originally deposited traffic at the west side of the North End, but with the completion of the Big Dig, it was modified to have two exits.
Until 2009, both tubes were maintained by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, but that year, it was transferred to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
A major overhaul of the Calhan Tunnel began in December 2013, which completely replaced the deck, curbs, and wall panels; and cleaned and repaired its ceiling and vent systems (above the ceiling and below the deck). It was planned for three phases: complete closure from December 27, 2013 to March 12, 2014 during deck and curb replacement; closures 11pm-5am from March 13, 2014 to late August 2014 for wall panel replacement; and final work until November 2014. McCourt Construction of South Boston was awarded the $19.3 million contract in August. During closures, Logan-bound traffic was diverted into the Ted Williams Tunnel, Tobin Bridge, and Massachusetts Route 1A South via Revere or East Boston. Starting with the Accelerated Bridge Program in the late 2000s, MassDOT began employing accelerated construction techniques, in which it signed contracts with incentives for early completion and penalties for late completion, and used intense construction during longer periods of complete closure to shorten the overall project duration and reduce cost. These techniques were also used for the Callahan Tunnel Rehabilitation Project.
In 2016, cashless tolling systems were installed in both directions, entering the Sumner Tunnel and exiting the Callahan Tunnel as part of a plan to modernize toll collection the Boston area.
The Summer tunnel underwent a modernization from summer 2022 through summer 2024. It will be fully closed from July 5 and August 5, 2024, and on weekends from August 9 through November 15, except for August 30 and October 11.
References
- ^ a b "Rehabilitation of the Sumner/Callahan Tunnels" (PDF). Concrete Repair Bulletin. International Concrete Repair Institute, Inc. May–June 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
- ^ "Ask the Globe; Q. Who Was William Sumner, for Whom the Sumner Tunnel Was Named?". Boston Globe. July 26, 1981 – via Proquest.
- ^ a b https://cdn.ymaws.com/icri.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/crb/2002mayjun/CRBMayJune02_Russell.pdf
- ^ Hanson, Melissa (December 27, 2013). [https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/27/callahan-tunnel-closing-begins-friday/eCLWjIjgfmXAzTz
lwzmYGM/story.html "Callahan Tunnel closure begins at 11 p.m."] Boston Globe. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help); line feed character in|url=at position 99 (help) - ^ "Close-Out Audit of Agencies and Authorities Combined into the Massachusetts Department of Transportation". Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Office of the State Auditor. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Chesto, Jon (November 17, 2013). "Here's what you need to know about the Callahan Tunnel's three-month closure". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
- ^ a b "Callahan Tunnel Rehabilitation Project". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
- ^ Moran, Jack (May–June 2012). "The Fast 14 Project". Public Roads. 75 (6). United States Federal Highway Administration.
- ^ "Toll Rates". EZDRIVEMA. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ^ "Sumner Tunnel Restoration: Project details and closure schedule". Massachusetts Department of Transportation: MassDOT Projects and Studies: Sumner Tunnel. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Sweeney, Emily (May 9, 2022). "'It's going to have a major impact': Boston neighborhoods brace for Sumner Tunnel construction, closures". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
