After a month-long closure for construction, the Sumner Tunnel will reopen Monday morning — but it’s scheduled to close again for several weekends in August.
The Sumner Tunnel will reopen to traffic at 5 a.m. Monday, MassDOT stated. The 90-year-old tunnel closed on July 5 to allow for a month of work on the tunnel’s ceiling, roadway, walls, lighting and add additional improvements to address safety and climate change, following a similar month long closure last summer.
The tunnel will then close for at least three weekends in August, with shut downs at 11:00 p.m. on Fridays until 5:00 a.m. on the following Monday. The closures will take place the weekends of Aug. 9, 16 and 23, MassDOT said.
The tunnel will be open Labor Day weekend beginning Aug 30, the department added.
“MassDOT continues to remind drivers to plan for extra travel time during weekend closures, consider the Blue Line or Silver Line as an alternative to driving, and stay informed by signing up for email updates through the project website,” the department said in a statement.
Weekend closures are likely to last past August. After the tunnel reopens, MassDOT said, the contractor will evaluate “the remaining work to help determine the number of weekend closures that will be scheduled through October of 2024.”
After the department determines the closure schedule, it will be posted to the project website and sent to project email subscribers, MassDOT added.
Throughout the ongoing closures, MassDOT stated they’re urging travelers to continue to think about alternative transportation options. In addition to the Ted Williams Tunnel and Callahan Tunnel, people can get to Logan airport by the Blue Line or Silver Line, the Logan Express or the Logan Water Taxi.
MassDOT warned it may continue to make real-time lane changes to “balance traffic volumes during weekend closures of the Sumner Tunnel and provide safer driving conditions inside the Ted Williams Tunnel” as traffic may extend in the area and into East Boston.
“Drivers who are traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution,” MassDOT stated.
Residents can sign up for email updates on the MassDOT website. More information will also be available on the MassDOT account on X, formerly Twitter, via Mass 511 and on the project website, mass.gov/sumner-tunnel-restoration-project.
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