Editing Big Dig (section)

{{Short description|1991–2007 megaproject in Boston, Massachusetts}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox tunnel
|name = Central Artery/Tunnel Project
|image = [[File:Mhs logo.png|frameless|125px]]<br />[[File:Boston Highway System Pre Post Big Dig.gif|frameless|300px]]<br />[[File:Big_Dig_Before_After.png|frameless|300px]]
|caption = Boston's highway system before and after the Central Artery/Tunnel Project
|official_name = 
|other_name = The Big Dig<br />CA/T Project
|location = [[Boston]], Massachusetts, United States
|coordinates = {{Coord|42.36197|N|71.05562|W|type:landmark_region:US|display=title,inline}}
|os_grid_ref = 
|status = 
|route = {{Jct|state=MA|I|90|I|93|US|1|SR|3}}
|start = 
|end = 
|startwork = 1982
|opened = {{start date and age|2003|}}
|close = 
|rebuilt = 
|reopen = 
|owner = 
|operator = 
|traffic = Automotive
|character = 
|toll = 
|vpd = 
|engineer = 
|construction = 1991–2007<ref name="enddate" />
|length = 
|lanes = 
|speed = 
|hielevation = 
|lowelevation = 
|height = 
|width = 
|grade = 
|map = 
|extra = 
}}

The '''Big Dig''' was a [[megaproject]] in [[Boston]] that rerouted the then elevated [[Central Artery]] of [[Interstate 93]] that cut across Boston into the [[O'Neill Tunnel]] and built the [[Ted Williams Tunnel]] to extend [[Massachusetts Turnpike|Interstate 90]] to [[Logan International Airport]]. Those two projects were the origin of the official name, the '''Central Artery/Tunnel Project''' ('''CA/T Project'''). The project constructed the [[Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge|Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge]] over the [[Charles River]], created the [[Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway|Rose Kennedy Greenway]] in the space vacated by the previous I-93 elevated roadway, and funded more than a dozen projects to improve the region's public transportation system. Planning for the project began in 1982. Construction work was carried out between 1991 and 2006. The project concluded in December 2007.<ref name="enddate">{{Cite news |first=Steve |last= LeBlanc |title= On December 31, It's Official: Boston's Big Dig Will Be Done |newspaper= The Washington Post |date=December 26, 2007 |access-date= December 26, 2007 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/25/AR2007122500600.html}}</ref> The project's general contractor was [[Bechtel]], with [[Parsons Brinckerhoff]] as the engineers, who worked as a consortium, both overseen by the [[Massachusetts Highway Department]].

The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the United States, and was plagued by [[cost overruns]], delays, leaks, design flaws, accusations of poor execution and use of substandard materials, criminal charges and arrests, and the [[Big Dig ceiling collapse|death of one motorist.]]<ref name="The Associated Press">{{Cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/12/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html |title=Review Begins after Big Dig Tunnel Collapse |work= CNN |date= July 12, 2006 |agency= Associated Press |access-date= July 25, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060715075257/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/12/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html |archive-date= July 15, 2006}}</ref> The project was originally scheduled to be completed in 1998<ref>{{cite book |author1= National Academy of Engineering |author2= National Research Council |author3= Transportation Research Board |chapter= Cost and Schedule Procedures |chapter-url= https://www.nap.edu/read/10629/chapter/4 |title= Completing the "Big Dig": Managing the Final Stages of Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel Project |publisher= The National Academies Press |location= Washington, DC |date= 2003 |doi= 10.17226/10629 |isbn= 978-0-309-08887-9 |access-date= March 27, 2019 }}</ref> at an estimated cost of $2.8 billion, US$7.4 billion adjusted for inflation {{As of|2020|lc=on}}.<ref name=inflation>{{cite web |url= http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ |title= The Inflation calculator |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070808205626/http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ |archive-date= August 8, 2007 }}</ref> The project was completed in December 2007 at a cost of over $8.08 billion in 1982 dollars, $21.5 billion adjusted for inflation, a cost overrun of about 190%.<ref name=inflation /><ref>{{Cite news |first=Glen |last=Johnson |url= https://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/13/governor_seeks_to_take_control_of_big_dig_inspections |title= Governor seeks to take control of Big Dig inspections |work= [[The Boston Globe]] |date= July 13, 2006 |access-date= July 13, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070311201155/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/13/governor_seeks_to_take_control_of_big_dig_inspections |archive-date = March 11, 2007}}</ref><ref>[https://www.boston.com/news/traffic/bigdig/articles/2008/07/17/big_digs_red_ink_engulfs_state/ Big Dig's red ink engulfs state] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829212218/http://www.boston.com/news/traffic/bigdig/articles/2008/07/17/big_digs_red_ink_engulfs_state |date=August 29, 2008 }}, Boston Globe, July 17, 2008</ref> As a result of a death, leaks, and other design flaws, the Parsons Brinckerhoff and Bechtel consortium agreed to pay $407 million in restitution, and several smaller companies agreed to pay a combined sum of approximately $51 million.<ref>"[https://www.thestar.com/Business/article/296783 Contractors to settle Boston Big Dig suit for $450M] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024100446/http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/296783 |date=2012-10-24 }}". ''[[Toronto Star]]''. January 23, 2008.</ref>