Callahan Tunnel To Be Shut Down Sunday Night For Emergency Inspection
BOSTON (CBS) – The Callahan Tunnel will be shut down Sunday night as inspectors check all 2,800 wall panels in the tunnel after one came crashing down on Friday night.
The 60-year-old tunnel will be closed from 9 p.m. until Monday morning at 5 a.m. for the inspection.
"If we find any wall panels that appear to be loose or in danger of coming loose, we will remove them so that there is no concern about them unexpectedly falling into the roadway," said Frank DePaolo, a highway administrator.
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The 100-pound piece of sheet metal that fell onto the roadway Friday came down because the supports had rotted, officials said.
No one was hurt, but three additional panels were removed as a precaution.
The Sunday night inspections are expected to cause traffic, particularly for holiday travelers.
"We apologize for this inconvenience for people who are traveling to the airport," DePaolo added. "The Ted Williams Tunnel will be fully available, as is the Tobin Bridge."
The DOT says the panels have come loose in the past and they plan to revamp the tunnel next year.
DOT officials say these inspections will continue every quarter until the 2013 revamp.
