Citation

Beck D. Am. City Cty. 1999; 114(6): 8 p..

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Penton Media)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

In the 1980s, in an attempt to reknit divided neighborhoods and ease congestion through downtown, Boston, Massachusetts, began reconstructing the section of Interstate-93 known as the Central Artery. When it is completed, the project will streamline traffic flow within and around the city, relieve congestion, reduce accidents, dramatically improve air quality, reconnect fractured neighborhoods, provide acres of open space for parks and gardens, and allow additional downtown development. The Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T) project is now in its eighth construction season. Regarded as one of the world's largest public works projects, it is notable for its size and construction techniques. The project's final costs are expected to reach $10.8 billion, 70% of which will come from the federal government. Nonfederal funds for the project come from state bonds and toll income generated by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Construction of the three tunnels is the largest part of the CA/T project, but its most visible aspect is the Charles River Bridge, which involves construction of two bridge structures. Despite its projected benefits, the enormous costs associated with the CA/T Project have attracted a multitude of critics. In the end, however, if it works as expected, it will relieve one of the country's most notorious traffic situations and will establish new watermarks for the construction industry. Sidebars highlight litter collection efforts in downtown Richmond, Virginia; Caltrans' use of alternative road repair material; a traffic-calming project in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and reconstruction of the historical 26th Street Bridge in Norfolk, Virginia.