BOSTON -- After several tons of concrete fell from the ceiling of a Big Dig tunnel, crushing a Jamaica Plain woman to death, Gov. Mitt Romney said he would seek to remove Massachusetts Turnpike Chairman Matt Amorello from his position.

"Long ago, I lost confidence in the leadership of the Turnpike Authority. There should no longer be a doubt that it is time for change at the authority. Through his leadership failures, Chairman Matt Amorello has undermined public confidence in the safety of the Big Dig tunnel system and failed to conform to the standards in which public business should be conducted," Romney said.

Milena Delvalle, 38, of Jamaica Plain, was killed, and her husband, Angel Delvalle, 46, managed to crawl out of a window of their car when the steel tieback that held the ceiling panels in place gave way, officials said. The accident happened at 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.

"While I take this action in the immediate aftermath of (Monday) night's tragedy, I don't take it solely because of that tragedy, of course," Romney said.

Romney cited a continuing pattern of mismanagement and said that he wanted to bring in new leadership to restore the public's confidence in the safety of the Big Dig tunnels. The governor listed ceiling leaks, a botched cost-recovery process and wasteful spending.

Under state law, Amorello is entitled to a hearing prior to the action becoming effective. A nationwide search for a replacement would begin once a hearing is complete if it were determined that Amorello should be removed.

Officials planned to remove all of the panels inside the tunnel that are held in place by the tiebacks. During an update about the removal process, Amorello did not directly address Romney's decision, saying that his first priority was to ensure that the tunnels were safe.

"I respect the words of many people today. It was an awful tragedy that occurred last evening," Amorello said. "The other circumstances that were discussed today, I will deal with those as appropriate. I have a great deal of respect for the attorney general and for the governor, and I understand all of their desires."

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.

If you witnessed the Interstate 90 tunnel collapse, please send an e-mail to NewsCenter 5.