State says some light fixtures in Big Dig tunnels are flawed
A 110-pound light fixture fell from the ceiling of a Big Dig tunnel in early February, prompting state officials to launch an inspection that has found corrosion at the base of some of the clips that affix other light fixtures to the tunnels.
"We learned that this is a relatively isolated incident, but it's something that we're taking very seriously,'' State Transportation Secretary Jeffrey B. Mullan told reporters at a briefing this afternoon.
"There is no question in my mind that the tunnels are robust and safe for the traveling public,'' Mullan said. "We've done an individual inspection of each of the lighting fixtures that is over the travelway, and we know that they are secured adequately and that the tunnel is safe."
The fixture that fell in the northbound O'Neill tunnel crashed to the ground between two travel lanes on the morning of Feb. 8. No one was injured.
"What we initially did was we tried to get an idea of what was happening, and when we thought we had enough information to inform the public of the situation, we're disclosing the information,'' he said. "I wanted to have a better idea of what exactly we were dealing with -- whether or not this was an isolated situation or more of a systemic issue.''
"There is no question in my mind that the tunnels are robust and safe for the traveling public,'' Mullan said. "We've done an individual inspection of each of the lighting fixtures that is over the travelway, and we know that they are secured adequately and that the tunnel is safe."
The fixture that fell in the northbound O'Neill tunnel crashed to the ground between two travel lanes on the morning of Feb. 8. No one was injured.
"What we initially did was we tried to get an idea of what was happening, and when we thought we had enough information to inform the public of the situation, we're disclosing the information,'' he said. "I wanted to have a better idea of what exactly we were dealing with -- whether or not this was an isolated situation or more of a systemic issue.''
Transportation Department officials said there are 23,000 fluorescent lights throughout the tunnels, held in place by 230,000 stainless steel clips that grip aluminum rails. The light fixtures are eight feet long, and less than a foot wide.
Mullan said state officials believe that a powder coating on the rails, when combined with salt and moisture from the roadways, caused corrosion on some of the aluminum rails. He said the state has inspected 95 percent of all light fixtures, including every light fixture that is over a travelway, and found problems with the aluminum rail at about 3,000 of the fixture clips. At each corroded rail, the state has made a temporary fix by sliding the clips to a non-corroded area; the state is working on a longer-term fix.
The state said the corrosion was most common at the light fixtures nearest the tunnel's entrances.
The light fixtures and their frames were manufactured by a California-based company called NuArt Lighting, Mullan said. He said the state has contacted the company to see if its warranty is still valid. Mullan said the light fixtures cost tens of millions of dollars; he could not be more specific. He also could not say how much it will cost to repair the fixtures.
"At this point, we are going to reserve all of our available remedies,'' he said. "We're going to pursue any avenues we have in cost recovery.''
The Big Dig tunnels, whose cost ballooned to $15 billion from $2 billion over the course of the project, have had design and construction problems before. In July 2006, five years after the last of the tunnels opened to traffic, Milena Del Valle, 38, of Jamaica Plain, was killed when a section of the ceiling in the Connector Tunnel fell on a car in which she was a passenger, headed to Logan International Airport. Her husband survived the accident.
The ceiling collapse led then-Governor Mitt Romney to force Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Matthew Amorello out of office, and prompted what state officials said was a “stem-to-stern” inspection of the Big Dig tunnels.
Mullan said the "stem-to-stern" inspection was a visual inspection that did not identify the problem with the light fixtures.
The companies that oversaw the Big Dig, Bechtel and Parsons Brinckerhoff, ultimately paid the state $400 million to settle claims of shoddy workmanship, including a 2004 episode in which a breach in the wall sent water gushing into the O'Neill tunnel. It was later revealed that the tunnel was riddled with leaks in its roof. In 2008, the Del Valle family received about $28 million in a settlement with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, Bechtel, Parsons/Brickerhoff and other Big Dig contractors.
The Turnpike Authority, which managed the Big Dig until 2009, acknowledged in 2007 that hundreds of leaks remained and that plugged leaks were regularly reopening.
Mullan said state officials believe that a powder coating on the rails, when combined with salt and moisture from the roadways, caused corrosion on some of the aluminum rails. He said the state has inspected 95 percent of all light fixtures, including every light fixture that is over a travelway, and found problems with the aluminum rail at about 3,000 of the fixture clips. At each corroded rail, the state has made a temporary fix by sliding the clips to a non-corroded area; the state is working on a longer-term fix.
The state said the corrosion was most common at the light fixtures nearest the tunnel's entrances.
The light fixtures and their frames were manufactured by a California-based company called NuArt Lighting, Mullan said. He said the state has contacted the company to see if its warranty is still valid. Mullan said the light fixtures cost tens of millions of dollars; he could not be more specific. He also could not say how much it will cost to repair the fixtures.
"At this point, we are going to reserve all of our available remedies,'' he said. "We're going to pursue any avenues we have in cost recovery.''
The Big Dig tunnels, whose cost ballooned to $15 billion from $2 billion over the course of the project, have had design and construction problems before. In July 2006, five years after the last of the tunnels opened to traffic, Milena Del Valle, 38, of Jamaica Plain, was killed when a section of the ceiling in the Connector Tunnel fell on a car in which she was a passenger, headed to Logan International Airport. Her husband survived the accident.
The ceiling collapse led then-Governor Mitt Romney to force Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Matthew Amorello out of office, and prompted what state officials said was a “stem-to-stern” inspection of the Big Dig tunnels.
Mullan said the "stem-to-stern" inspection was a visual inspection that did not identify the problem with the light fixtures.
The companies that oversaw the Big Dig, Bechtel and Parsons Brinckerhoff, ultimately paid the state $400 million to settle claims of shoddy workmanship, including a 2004 episode in which a breach in the wall sent water gushing into the O'Neill tunnel. It was later revealed that the tunnel was riddled with leaks in its roof. In 2008, the Del Valle family received about $28 million in a settlement with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, Bechtel, Parsons/Brickerhoff and other Big Dig contractors.
The Turnpike Authority, which managed the Big Dig until 2009, acknowledged in 2007 that hundreds of leaks remained and that plugged leaks were regularly reopening.
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