Tunnel To Remain Closed Pending Investigation
230 Trouble Spots Identified After Fatal Accident
POSTED: 12:12 pm EDT July 13,
2006
UPDATED: 6:36 pm EDT July 13,
2006
BOSTON -- It could be days before the Interstate 90 connector tunnel is reopened after officials identified more than 200 trouble spots Thursday during the investigation into this week's fatal accident.NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that problems were found in the eastbound lanes, westbound lanes and the high-occupancy vehicle lanes during the investigation into the death of 38-year-old Milena Del Valle began. Del Valle was killed when a 3-ton section of the ceiling fell on her car Monday night."In the I-90 eastbound segment, there are approximately 50 hanger assemblies that have that condition. In the westbound, there are approximately 68," Big Dig project manager Mike Lewis said. "Those are the numbers for a total of approximately 230 hanger assemblies that have some gap identified."Massachusetts Turnpike Chairman Matt Amorello said that he is doing everything in his power to make sure that the tunnels are safe."We all have a job to do. Since Monday night, that's what I've been trying to accomplish with the steps that we've taken at the Turnpike Authority, working in conjunction with the state Highway Department," Amorello said.Investigators are focusing on the epoxy that fastened the bolts into the ceiling panels. Lewis said that it could be weeks before all parts of the tunnel are opened."It will be reopened in segments, not all at once. We are trying to prioritize our work, our evaluation and the work in those areas that can be done most quickly and have most benefits to the traveling public. We are trying to prioritize it. We'll sequence openings so that the traffic will be relieved over time. It is not going to be all done at once. It is going to be done in a series of stages. It will be over a series of days or more," Lewis said.
Previous Stories:
- July 13, 2006: Emergency Crews Recount Tunnel Accident Scene
- July 13, 2006: Witness Recalls Tunnel Ceiling Collapse
- July 13, 2006: I-90 Tunnel Connector Remains Closed
- July 13, 2006: Turnpike Chief: Won't Quit After Accident
- July 13, 2006: Big Dig Accident Probe Focuses On Bolts
- July 13, 2006: Former Big Dig Boss: Ceiling Panels 'Not On My Radar'
- July 12, 2006: I-90 Connector Tunnel Remains Closed
- July 12, 2006: Connector Remains Closed As Investigations Continue
- July 12, 2006: Family, Friends Grieve For Woman
- July 12, 2006: State Launches Crime Probe Into Tunnel Death
- July 11, 2006: Former Inspector General Warned Officials About Tunnel
- July 11, 2006: Ceiling Panels Removed After Tunnel Accident
- July 11, 2006: Former MTA Board Members React To Collapse
- July 11, 2006: I-90 Tunnel Worker Cites Problems With Construction
- July 11, 2006: Romney Wants Turnpike Boss Removed From Position
- July 11, 2006: Neighbors Remember Tunnel Victim
- July 11, 2006: Accident Causes Major Traffic Woes
- July 11, 2006: 1 Killed In I-90 Tunnel Ceiling Collapse
- July 11, 2006: 1 Dead In 1-90 Tunnel Connector Ceiling Collapse
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