Charles River Basin projects
Charles River Basin - Longfellow Bridge
Photo by Tom Nally.
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In November 2007, the Department of Conservation and Recreation announced that they would do interim repairs on the Storrow Drive Tunnel while working with other state agencies to determine the best approach to a longer term viable reconstruction plan.
Our role
Interim repair work is
underway on the drainage
system and structural beams
in the Storrow Drive Tunnel
and is expected to last
approximately nine months.
ABC will work closely with
EOT and DCR on any
construction and traffic
mitigation issues to the area.
The debate surrounding a
possible detour road on the
Esplanade, as well as the
scope of permanent changes
to the tunnel have been put
on hold while EOT
undertakes a synchronization
study to prioritize
rehabilitation projects in the
Charles River Basin. The
ABC Transportation and
Construction Committee met
on March 5 at ABC, where
EOT Deputy Secretary Bob
Rooney updated us on the
tunnel repairs and the
synchronization study, and
Jim Gillooly of the City of
Boston shared plans for
signal timing and lessons
learned in snow emergency
preparedness.
We will hear an up to the minute report next week from Bob Rooney of EOT who is responsible for coordinating the work on several projects in the Charles River Basin. He is a regular participant in our bimonthly Transportation and Construction Committee meetings, which will meet at noon here on Wednesday, March 5. He will report directly on a study getting underway which will be used to set priorities for rehabilitation projects from the Charles River Dam to the River Street Bridge and a half dozen projects in between to be built over a period of several years. The issue is that the impacts on traffic generated by these projects require coordination. The urgency of repairs and the resources available vary and are all factors in setting the priorities.
Regarding Storrow Drive, the most urgent repair work is already underway, with lane closures at night. Completion of that immediate repair work will buy some time as the overall priorities are determined. It is very possible that Longfellow Bridge work will be done before any additional Storrow Drive tunnel reconstruction. The issues of putting a detour road on the Esplanade, and the actual scope of permanent changes at the tunnel have been put on hold until the larger coordination issue is resolved.
We will focus on those issues in our regular committee meetings,
Last July, A Better City drafted a letter to DCR Commissioner Richard Sullivan offering comments on the proposed changes to the Storrow Drive Tunnel.
Storrow Drive Tunnel
Photo by Tom Nally.
What's New
In an effort to minimize impact on residents, businesses, and visitors, EOT has developed a "Charles River Basin Infrastructure Synchronization Study" that will allow them to prioritize and coordinate the efforts of several important infrastructure improvements in the area. The result is a decision to undertake two relatively short repair projects - interim repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel and repairs to a ramp of the Bowker Interchange will take between 12-18 months - and then be able to focus attention on critically-needed work on the Longfellow Bridge. The interim repairs to the Storrow Drive tunnel will ensure the safety of the tunnel for at least five more years. Most of the work will occur between 9pm and 5am on nights with no scheduled Esplanade or sports events. Noise levels will be monitored and enforced, with jack hammering occurring between 10am and 2pm. The Bowker Interchange work consists of deck and guard rail replacement on the westbound ramp that goes over Storrow Drive from the Bowker overpass and Beacon Street. Most construction will occur between 9pm and 5am on non-event nights. Only half of the two-lane ramp will be closed at one time, with the exception of two weekends when both lanes will need to be closed, and traffic will be detoured to use the Berkeley Street westbound on-ramp. The Synchronization Study was presented at a July 9 meeting of the ABC Transportation and Construction Committee.
In May, DCR issued a press release regarding the award of contracts to begin Storrow Drive Tunnel and Bowker overpass repairs.
Additional resources
Department of Conservation and Recreation