Kristen Pini, while driving friends to the airport headed her SUV into the Ted Williams Tunnel last may when something huge fell onto her car.
Kristen Pini/ car hit by debris”Oh I was frightened. I was frightened.”
Here's the result, the door gashed and the smashed the rear. $3,000 of damage and incalculable fear.
Kristen Pini/ car hit by debris”I really thought I was gonna die.”
And our exclusive investigation found the Big Dig has caused years of big damage. Shattered sunroof, battered tires…
Maura Vogel/ car hit by debris”It sounded like an explosion on my windshield.”
Twisted metal, broken windows…
Kelsey Buck/ car hit by debris”I want my car to be fixed.”
We obtained every big dig damage claim for the past two years: construction debris, potholes, falling rocks. Cars hit with tar, sprayed with paint and splattered with concrete. Tens of thousands of dollars in damages.
Walter Trider/ car hit by debris”I was very shocked and scared.”
This map we obtained shows Big Dig contract areas. Each segment is overseen by separate contractors. We plotted each incident and uncovered four Big Dig hot spots. Right here the Mass Pike Expressway South Bay interchange: 17 accidents in two years! The Zakim Bridge construction: 20 accidents. Work at Storrow Drive: 20 accidents and the new tunnel to I-93: 65 accidents.
According records: Modern Continental, the same contractor responsible for the collapsed connector, was also in charge of at least three out of four hot spots.
Maura”They should take responsibility for it.”
But who pays for the damage? Most often the drivers. Our investigation found more than half the claims submitted, every zero on this page, were rejected. This former inspector general blew the whistle on problems in the Ted Williams Tunnel 8 years ago now says when there's shoddy construction to begin with conditions can only go downhill.
Hank”So the problems that you saw in this report certainly haven't gotten any better?”
Robert Cerasoli/ Former MA Inspector General”No.”
Hank”And they could have only gotten worse?”
Robert Cerasoli/ Former MA Inspector General”Absolutely.”
So who's liable for all the damage? We found claims go to the Big Dig contractors insurance company. As for deciding whose bill gets paid officials there would only say: “Everything is looked at on a case by case basis.”
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