Despite the completion of a landmark portion of the Big Dig Project and the reopening of all lanes of the Sumner tunnel and Interstate 93 Exit 26, Boston traffic continues to be slow, partially due to the unfamiliarity of the new tunnels, Big Dig officials said yesterday.
The Big Dig, a $14.6 billion project that has taken over 10 years to accomplish, was opened last Saturday at 8 p.m., a day earlier than its intended opening, according to Big Dig spokesperson Holly Sutherland.
The early opening, however, was not indicative of efficiency, Sutherland said.
‘Things [on Saturday] weren’t that smooth,’ she said. ‘But they should be better … as people are less hesitant of entering or using the Big Dig tunnels.’
Although there were not any ‘unusual accidents’ within the underground tunnel, there were several fender-bender incidents on Sunday because ‘people were getting accustomed to driving [through the completed projects],’ Big Dig traffic director Gail Scott said.
Sutherland also said that yesterday’s advice of radio traffic reports asking commuters to ‘pretend they are in a new area’ have been very helpful.
‘People seemed to have followed [the radio’s] advice instead of trying to guess,’ Sutherland said.
Sutherland estimated that traffic and uneasiness for commuters would continue for about two weeks until they become more acclimated with the lanes and different routes.
While the project was finalizing last week, commuters were inconvenienced by the reduction of the Sumner Tunnel to one lane and the closing of Exit 26 to Storrow Drive.
In anticipation of the heavy traffic, Big Dig officials urged commuters to stay off the road and to utilize public transportation instead.
Although Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials do not know exactly how many more people used public transportation, Scott said more people took the ‘T’ to the Fleet Center last weekend, and there were fewer cars on the streets on Friday.
The ‘T’ was prepared for heavier congestion, though more Red, Orange and Blue Line vehicles were running late last week, MBTA spokesperson Lydia Rivera said.
However, traffic last week was still ‘challenging’ because of the closings, especially around the Ted Williams Tunnel, an alternative route for Sumner Tunnel travelers, and on Conway St., a detour for Exit 26, Scott said.
Although the multibillion dollar project will eventually provide more order to Boston’s chaotic road system, Sutherland said she personally still chooses to stay off the road.
‘Driving in Boston is crazy,’ she said. ‘No matter how quick [the Big Dig will make traveling] it is still easier to take the train.’
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