The Sumner Tunnel in East Boston reopened Friday, Sept. 1 after a two-month closure due to the beginning of the first phase of a $160 million restoration and renovation project to the 89-year-old tunnel.
State Rep. Adrian Madaro and State Sen. Lydia Edwards joined Gov. Maura Healey, Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca, and other state officials on a walking tour of the Summer Tunnel last Wednesday, Aug. 30.
Edwards, who represents the entire East Boston neighborhood in the Senate, commented, “We are halfway there. I am grateful we got through two months of closure with little injury. We have a lot to learn and certainly need to reassess our mitigation package for next year. Finally, I want to thank outgoing Secretary Gina Fiandaca and the whole MassDOT team for their hard work.”
State Rep. Adrian Madaro added, “The weekday openings of the Sumner Tunnel will give residents much-needed relief from the lengthy commutes into the City. I’m grateful for the patience East Boston residents have displayed throughout the summer, and thankful for the hard work of MassDOT employees and the contractors who completed the necessary repairs over the last several months.”
State Rep. Jessica Giannino said, “I want to thank MassDOT and each of the contractors involved in this project for all of their hard work on the Sumner Tunnel renovations. Reopening the tunnel on time was critical as commuters get back from summer breaks.
“I also want to thank the efforts of Gov. Maura Healey and each of the surrounding communities impacted by this closure for working collaboratively in order to minimize disruptions to our commutes by increasing options for reliable public transportation during the shutdown. This project was a group effort, and I believe the process went as smoothly as it did because of this. I am very happy to know that commuters can return to their normal routes again, in the improved Sumner Tunnel.”
Acting Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe was pleased to see the Sumner Tunnel reopen on schedule.
“The tunnel’s reopening is a great sigh of relief to the residents of Revere as we start to wrap up the summer,” said Keefe. “I’m hopeful the learnings we all experienced by relying on public transit and expanded offerings will be sign on more permanent transportation investments that can benefit our community when it comes to our regional traffic mitigation measures.”