Eastie Says: "Sweet"

After the infamous tunnel collapse of this past July, one could argue that East Boston had it bad. Being an island, there is no feasible way for residents to get into the city without going through a tunnel or over a bridge, unless one considers a detour through Chelsea and Somerville "feasible". However, some comfort was taken in the fact that the Sumner and Callahan, built in 1961 and 1934, respectively, had existed for decades with minimal problems and were built in an era when people put value on things like "solid construction". Today marks an end to the panacea of false hope, as Governor Mitt Romney announced that both tunnels are in dire need of repair.

Brandishing a loose chunk of ceiling at a press conference earlier this afternoon, Romney detailed the problems, ranging from rusty beams to flaking concrete to the all-too familiar "loose bolt" refrain. Preliminary estimates indicate that as much as 30% of the Sumner's lining will need to be replaced, lest it chunk off onto unsuspecting drivers. The inspection uncovered issues with the newer tunnel as well, including a lack of "transverse ceiling braces" designed to protect the structure in the event of an earthquake. Although no estimates have been made as to the cost of repair, we can only imagine the traffic nightmares. Luckily for most, construction won't start until next summer... but until then, you may want to take the Tobin.

image courtesy of Flickr user Aprillynn77.