The Ted Williams Tunnel is safe for travel, Massachusetts DOT is assuring motorists after video of flooding in the tunnel went viral this week. As CBS News reports, “The floodwaters reached 3 feet deep and stretched across two lanes as the torrential rain came down at the tail end of rush hour traffic Wednesday.” State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said a blockage thought to be 15 to 20 feet deep in the drain pipes caused heavy rain to back up, but crews with pump trucks eventually were able to clear the floodwaters. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attributed the problem to both aging infrastructure and climate change that now makes such flash flooding predictable. MassDOT stated it is deploying crews to check for other blockages and test water pump systems inside city tunnels.
The Boston Globe reports, despite his quotidian explanation for Wednesday’s flood, Mr. Gulliver acknowledged that state infrastructure needs to be made more resilient in the face of climate change conditions.