BOSTON (WHDH) - The two-month shutdown of the Sumner Tunnel in Boston has arrived, beginning at midnight Wednesday morning.
Long in the making, the shutdown has had many bracing as some people may see commutes double in length.
“It will be a mess,” one person told 7NEWS this week. “More traffic.”
The tunnel, which connects East Boston to Downtown, will be closed through the end of August as crews work to replace the tunnel’s ceiling, pavement and lighting.
Traffic will be diverted through Everett, Route One and the Ted Williams Tunnel, in the meantime.
“A bit more chaotic,” an area driver said of the expected diversions. “You’re diverting traffic from a main artery into two already clogged arteries to get around it.”
“It’s going to be a bummer, but it is what it is,” the same driver continued.
Josefina Pinto, who lives near the Sumner Tunnel entrance, said her sister lives in Charlestown.
“I’m going to have to take a whole long, long, long drive to Charlestown,” Pinto said. “With the Sumner Tunnel, it’s faster because you can just get there.”
The Sumner Tunnel is 88-years-old. Work to repair it has already been underway, with numerous weekend closures taking place in recent months.
Ahead of the unprecedented closure this summer, though, there is concern from both neighbors and travelers.
Officials at Logan Airport are asking travelers to plan two extra hours of travel time during the coming months.
The same officials are also joining other leaders in encouraging people to ditch their cars and take public transportation during the tunnel shutdown with a message of “Ditch the Drive.”
Officials have announced numerous alternative travel options. See information here.
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