1 Killed In I-90 Tunnel Ceiling Collapse

BOSTON -- A woman was killed and a man injured Monday night when several 3-ton ceiling panels in a Big Dig connector tunnel collapsed onto their car, crushing it, Massachusetts Turnpike Authority officials said.

The accident occurred about 11 p.m. Monday in the eastbound connector tunnel that links Interstate 90 with the Ted Williams tunnel near Northern Avenue in South Boston.

The woman, a passenger in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. The male driver was taken to the hospital, reportedly only with minor injuries after he crawled out through a narrow window opening in his 1991 Buick. The woman was identified as Melina M. Delvalle, 38, of Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, and the male was identified as Angel Delvalle, 46. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.

A steel tieback that held the 40-foot ceiling sections in place gave way, according to Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello, releasing four to six ceiling panels.

Amorello said the tiebacks were not used in other portions of Big Dig construction, but he said that sections of roadway would remain closed Tuesday morning as state workers cleared the scene and federal and state highway crews conducted safety inspections.

Amorello said that the portion of the tunnel where the ceiling panels collapsed was constructed in 1999. The work was reportedly done by the Modern Continental construction company, which did not immediately issue a comment on the accident.

The Ted Williams Tunnnel connects to Logan International Airport.

Amorello said crews would remove all of the panels in that section of the tunnel, which could take at least a day or more. He said the tiebacks that failed were not used in any Interstate 93 tunnels. He said engineers were investigating the tiebacks that were used in the I-90 tunnel portions.

"When something like this happens with a piece of infrastructure that causes harm, in this instance death, it is the worst thing that can happen. You feel awful about it and we're going to do everything we can to ensure that the public safety is protected and people shouldn't have a fear of driving through roads or over bridges anywhere in Massachusetts or this country. And we're going to take every step to make sure that's the case with these tunnels through Boston," Amorello said.

But some former state officials said they saw just such an accident coming. Former state Inspector General Robert Cerasoli authored a report in 1999 that questioned the safety of construction practices that could have weakened the ceiling in the Ted Williams Tunnel.

"There's no reason why we in the state of Massachusetts should have spent $16.8 billion and counting to have someone lose a life in Massachusetts. Doesn't make any sense," Cerasoli said.

Former Turnpike Authority Board member Jordan Levy said he was shocked and dismayed by the accident.

"Nobody knows what happened, we're waiting for the engineering report," Levy said. "Obviously something failed and it's time we nailed the people responsible."

Levy said he thinks the responsible parties are the contractor and Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, which was hired to oversee construction.

The Big Dig project, which buried portions of Interstate 93 underground and created connections between Interstate 90 and Logan Airport, has been dogged by controversy for years. Most recently, leaks in one portion of highway tunnel were blamed on the use of substandard concrete.

In May 2006, five men accused of faking records to cover up the concrete problems pleaded not guilty to the charges and state officials said there was no evidence the alleged use of substandard concrete made the tunnels unsafe. Meanwhile, Gov. Mitt Romney tried to get Amorello to step down and a former consulting engineer for the project, Jack Lemley, backed off on his support of the project, saying he couldn't vouch for the safety of tunnels. After that, Amorello brought another engineer in who said the tunnels were safe.

"Frankly, I think the tunnel is quite safe," consulting engineer John Christian said.

The state Attorney General's office has demanded a $108 million refund from Big Dig contractors saying it has documented at least 200 instances of serious lapses by contractors. The money would cover the costs of fixing problems, but critics said the amount was a drop in the bucket when it comes to paying for repairs that will be needed.

Tuesday's accident caused major delays as the Ted Williams tunnel is a major artery to the airport. Massachusetts Turnpike eastbound travelers were detoured off the highway at Exit 24, which took them to Route 93 northbound through the O'Neill Tunnel. They were told to exit at Government Center or Storrow Drive to get to the Callahan Tunnel as an alternate route to the airport. The detour caused major delays through downtown Boston.

"As the morning progesses things are getting progressively worse," said Joe Pesatauro of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA. He said the 'T' is running the Orange and Blue lines at rush hour levels for commuters who would rather take public transportation than drive.

Phil Orlandella at Logan International Airport said there were delays at the airport because passengers were unable to get to their flights, but he said arrivals and departures were taking place as usual.

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