Closure of the Sumner Tunnel is expected to create heavier congestion starting Monday
BOSTON – Massachusetts transportation officials say they expect more traffic congestion starting Monday due to construction that will have Sumner Tunnel closed throughout the summer.
The Sumner Tunnel officially closed to all traffic on July 5. It will remain completely closed until Thursday, August 31.
During the closure, they will work on the roof, road, walls and lights and add security and climate improvements.
On Sunday, State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said there have been no setbacks so far and everything is going as planned. One hundred percent of the suspended ceiling has been removed, and the workers move on to chipping out concrete and preparing prefabricated arch structures. It will happen for the rest of the summer.
Although the area was closed last week, officials believe the biggest traffic impact will begin during Monday̵[ads1]7;s commute.
“Last week was an extremely light traffic week,” Gulliver said. “It was a holiday week, a lot of people were on vacation. The impacts were pretty small. We expect it to really pick up over the next few weeks as the vacationers come back. We really encourage everyone to leave plenty of extra time. “
Traffic is expected to be affected from East Boston, north of the city and at Logan Airport. Gulliver said there will likely be residual impacts on portions of the Mass Pike, the Southeast Expressway and other routes into the city.
“We really encourage everyone to plan ahead regardless of which direction you’re coming in, especially if you have a time-critical appointment. Give yourself plenty of extra time to get there if you need to catch a flight, get to a doctor’s appointment, or whatever whatever,” said Gulliver. “We’re in the long run at this point. We’ve got two more months of this and we want to make it manageable.”
For more information about closures and detours, click here.
