$14.6 billion later, Boston's Big Dig wraps up

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | 12/19/2003 | Seth Stern

[theDentist]

BENEATH BOSTON – With a tellingly simple ribbon-cutting ceremony, the last underground segment of Boston's Big Dig project opens Friday - completing major construction on one of the most complex and controversial engineering projects in human history.

It may not look as dramatic as the Hoover Dam, but the revamp of traffic flows in one of America's oldest cities rivals any past US public-works project in complexity - and outpaced them all in cost.

Its effects will be felt for decades and far beyond Boston: It is changing commuting habits here, may influence the prospects for any similarly large-scale efforts in the future, and has hit the pocketbook of almost every taxpayer in America.

But the Big Dig's scale - at its peak it employed 5,000 construction workers - was rivaled by high costs that have been a source of controversy since the project's inception in 1987 - after President Reagan tried unsuccessfully to wield a penny-pinching veto pen.

That's one reason the city will celebrate this weekend with a whimper rather than a bang - or even a pop. The Boston Pops concert scheduled for underground Thursday was canceled. After spending $14.6 billion (up from an initial forecast of about $4 billion in today's dollars), leaders and taxpayers weren't in the mood to shell out an several hundred thousand dollars for the show.

"It will be a mixed legacy," says David Luberoff, associate director of Harvard's Taubman Center for State and Local Government. "For a lot of people in the region it will be seen as a major positive addition. The farther you move from Boston, the less positively people will view the project."

The two-mile-long underground road will ease commutes - at least for a while - reconnect the city with the harbor, and replace an eyesore of a highway with a necklace of green spaces. Already, the spindly Zakim bridge over the Charles River has become a landmark on the city's skyline.

The city won't reap the full benefits for at least another year, when the hulking overhead highway is finally torn down and traffic patterns are completed. But this weekend's opening is surely the end of an era here. And as traffic flows underground, the city can finally assess whether it was worth the wait - or the price.

See here for remainder of story.

[theDentist]

Finally the Dig is ending, and the big giant sucking sound fades from the Hub.

A search did not reveal this article previously existing....

[Paradox]

Its a shame the project went so overbudget and was filled with controversy, because the engineering feat was truly staggering.

[2banana]

The big dig is a case study of pork

[AgThorn]

Here's some interesting info on the new real estate that will be above the "big dig" buried highway. (click the pic for the article and details on each section)

---

About the parcels The focus of the Big Dig project has narrowed to the manufactured "land" that will soon cover the buried highway in Boston's downtown. While many decisions have been made about the future of this corridor, a few remaining parcels have inspired a long debate about the character, purpose, control, and management of these highly visible civic spaces.

[AgThorn]

bad link ... heres' the good one:

http://www.boston.com/beyond_bigdig/parcels/

[Wonder Warthog]

"...may influence the prospects for any similarly large-scale efforts in the future, and has hit the pocketbook of almost every taxpayer in America."

One can only hope that the effect of the "influence" is NEVER TO ALLOW ANOTHER SUCH BOONDOGGLE TO HAPPEN!!!

[Fudd]

Finally the Dig is ending, and the big giant sucking sound fades from the Hub.

In other news, Boston commuters can expect lane closures and delays as repair work will soon begin in the highway passing through what was once known as the "Big Dig".

A search did not reveal this article previously existing....

Posted here.

[theDentist]

Ummm.... that's this article, posted by me.

[Callahan]

Sigh...Northeaster liberals and their big holes in the ground.

[flashbunny]

Where is it posted? ;)

[smith288]

Well Fudd found it...why couldnt you?!?!?! Lol..

[BigWaveBetty]

$14.6 billion later....

And to think, Kerry and Kennedy wailed about spending 20 billion to rebuild Iraq!

[muleskinner]

Was Teddy looking for a buried case of Scotch?

[Rockitz]

...and the big giant sucking sound fades from the Hub.

I beg to differ. There are plenty of liberals who still suck residing in Beantown.

[Rockitz]

...and the big giant sucking sound fades from the Hub.

I hadn't heard that Harvard was closing it's doors.

Apologies. There are just so many choices with that one. I'm like a kid in a candy store.

[woodyinscc]

The big dig is a case study of pork

Correctamundo.!

How long do you think it is before another one comes around? The Congress just cannot help themselves.

[RetiredArmy]

For lord's sake I hope this does not get the socialist fools here in Seattle going! They are out of space for highways through the city, so they are trying to do an overhead tram. Over in Bremerton they want to spend several million to run a tunnel from the ferry to the exit of the town, about two miles, to ease the traffic from FOUR COMMUTER FERRIES EACH DAY WITH NO MORE THAN 200 CARS ON IT. So, we will spend millions for that stupid venture if it gets off the ground. Hopefully it will not.

[breakem]

Did I read this right 2miles = 14+ Billion? We're proposing a tunnel through the Cleveland National Forest Corona, CA to Orange County. 11 miles, 11 billion. Never thought Cal could be outspent.

[theDentist]

OK... here's the kicker. A columnist there once figured it out: It comes to over $115000 per INCH.

[breakem]

That means I'm worth $345,000. LOL, on a good day!