Tunnel To Remain Closed Pending Investigation

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.