TRAVEL TIMES increased when the Sumner Tunnel shut down for repairs on July 5, but the congestion has been manageable so far, the state highway administrator said on Wednesday.
At a briefing for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation board, Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said trip times have lengthened, particularly during the morning hours, but congestion has not been that bad.
“Traffic so far has been very manageable for us,” said Gulliver.
The Sumner Tunnel normally handles 40,000 cars a day. Gulliver estimated the riders of roughly 25,000 cars, or about 62 percent of the total, are now taking different routes into the city, including some form of public transit that is either free or price-reduced. The remaining 15,000 other vehicles are using the Tobin Bridge or the Ted Williams Tunnel, Gulliver said.
Blue Line passenger traffic was up 17 percent on July 12, while free MBTA parking garages were seeing a 390 percent increase in usage. Bus passengers levels, meanwhile, were down 19 percent on the Silver Line and 23 percent in Chelsea.
Gulliver said the key to handling congestion in the area is preventing Logan International Airport from backing up with traffic. If that happens, he said, the entire area can gridlock. To avoid that, Gulliver said, state transportation officials are using an automated gate at the entrance to the Ted Williams Tunnel to help steer traffic and relieve congestion at the airport.
State officials are currently tracking traffic levels at three locations. On Route 1A between Bell Circle and the Ted Williams Tunnel, morning travel times are longer than they were in June before the shutdown, but the delays are relatively small – 7 minutes at the peak travel time of 7:45 a.m.
On US-1 between Copeland Circle and I-93, travel times are below June levels in the late morning but remain above the June average in the early morning hours, about 9 minutes slower at the 7:15 a.m. peak. On Route 99 between Sweetser Circle and Gilmore Circle, trip times are running close to June levels for much of the morning.
Gulliver also said transportation officials have been able to accommodate ambulances in the area as well as vehicles carrying organs for transplant, which require the Ted Williams Tunnel to be temporarily cleared of most traffic.
Members of the MassDOT board applauded the report, but had one ask for state transportation officials – install a temporary commuter rail platform in Lynn before the Sumner Tunnel is shut down for another two months next year to complete the repairs. The old Lynn platform had to be shut down last fall because it was in disrepair, but state officials said a temporary platform would take at least 18 months to get built and a permanent replacement would have to wait until 2030.
Gulliver said Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca has already convened a working group to address the problem. He said no resolution has been reached yet, but expected one will be soon.
