BOSTON -- A major Big Dig tunnel originally slated to open this month will be delayed until January because safety technology in the tunnel has not been fully tested.

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Officials Discuss Big Dig Delays

NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that Honeywell has installed the "smart technology" that monitors the tunnel that will connect the Massachusetts Turnpike to Logan International Airport for accidents and other problems, but the technology has not been tested. The tunnel was originally scheduled to open Dec. 20.

Project director George Gram said that the company must test 413 cameras, several signs and detectors on the entrance ramps that signal if a vehicle is too large for the tunnel. Also, 2.6 million feet of cable has been installed that brings information to the tunnel's command center.

The cables will also bring in AM and FM radio signals, as well as allow the use of two-way radios for utility workers. Carbon monoxide detectors are installed in the several hundred utility rooms where various contractors keep equipment.

"We're not going to be rushed in, and I think [Massachusetts Turnpike Authority] Chairman [Matt] Amorello's been very clear about it that we're going to take whatever time it takes," Gram said. "We're going to be safe. It has to be safe."

Honeywell was originally budgeted to install and test the technology for $104 million, but the delays will cost about $90 million more, Gram said. The company has 500 people working to get the testing done, according to Gram.

Turnpike officials said that the tunnel should be ready to open in January.