MassDOT says it can fastidiously look at tunnels in Boston and throughout the state after it launched emergency inspections contained in the Pru Tunnel when concrete got here crashing down on unsuspecting motorists.
Freeway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver says a four-inch piece of concrete that he estimated to be 4 to five ft lengthy fell from the tunnel’s ceiling, damaging a number of automobiles on the westbound facet of the Mass Pike in Boston’s Prudential Tunnel.
No accidents had been reported however the tumbling concrete set off a sequence response that snarled site visitors within the metropolis forward of Friday’s rush hour.
“Recent freeze/thaw cycles caused the concrete to become saturated, freeze, and then delaminate as temperatures rose today,” MassDOT stated.
Massachusetts State Police responded round 2 p.m. Friday after a “section of non-structural concrete at an expansion joint below Huntington Avenue became dislodged … and fell into the left and middle travel lanes,” per MassDOT.
Gulliver stated he wasn’t certain what number of automobiles had made contact with the concrete. Preliminary observations indicated two to 3 vehicles had pushed over the particles after it had fallen.
“It fell right in front of them,” Gulliver stated. “Thankfully it was not worse. It could have caused some serious damage had it gone through someone’s windshield for sure.
“Our infrastructure is safe,” the freeway administrator added. “Do things happen? Sure. They happen just like potholes happen. … It’s a very rare occurrence that we have a failure in a joint for anything overhead. It’s something that we typically keep a very close eye on.”
The Prudential Tunnel, a six-lane thoroughfare that runs roughly 0.6 miles beneath the Prudential Tower advanced in Boston, constructed in 1965, extends the Mass Pike into Boston.
A two-lane closure went into place as crews eliminated particles from the tunnel. Gulliver stated all lanes had since reopened when he addressed reporters round 4:45.
The tunnel had been within the midst of an inspection however the joint that failed Friday had but to be assessed, Gulliver stated. He added it had been scheduled to be checked out within the coming weeks.
Gulliver stated the “four-inch joint … allows the tunnel to move as it would through its natural course. It is very localized.”
Freeway crews have been ordered to search for “similar joints to see if there’s any other freeze/thaw action” that may have been missed in different tunnels throughout the state and in Boston.
Gulliver stated the town tunnels that might be assessed Friday evening included the Ted Williams, O’Neill, Sumner, Callahan and Storrow.
“We are very grateful that there were no injuries or serious damage as a result of this,” he stated. “We appreciate the public’s patience this afternoon and throughout the weekend as we’re going to be doing a number of these closures to make sure we don’t have any other issues that we need to address.”
Right here is the video MassDOT offered:
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