Sumner Tunnel will be open this weekend due to MBTA issues
BOSTON -- The Sumner Tunnel will be open this weekend, MassDOT announced Friday afternoon.
It was supposed to close for scheduled construction but the decision was reversed to "minimize any additional travel impacts created by the suspension of regular MBTA Orange and Green Line service in the area of Haymarket Station," MassDOT said.
After discovering a structural problem with the Government Center Parking Garage, the MBTA announced during the Thursday evening commute that the Orange Line is suspended between North Station and Back Bay. Green Line service is being replaced by shuttle buses between Government Center and Union Square.
The tunnel's scheduled closure was part of a larger construction project being done because the tunnel is deteriorating and needs a major renovation.
MassDOT announced that starting June 10, the heavily-used tunnel will be closed on weekends for 36 weeks, except on major holidays. The tunnel was open last weekend for the Juneteenth holiday.
"While the Sumner Tunnel is in need of repairs, it remains safe for traffic to use. Recent instances involving a construction site near the MBTA's Haymarket Station have had no impact on the Sumner Tunnel's structural integrity," MassDOT said.