Boston, MA Sumner Tunnel to close for a month this summer – NBC Boston

Boston’s Sumner Tunnel will be closed for a month this summer, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said Tuesday.

The tunnel will close on July 5 and reopen on August 5, officials said, a month earlier than originally planned.

There will be more weekend closures both before and after the month-long project, MassDOT said.

The closure is the next phase of a project that officials said began two years ago in April and includes work on the tunnel ceiling, road, walls, lighting and other improvements to “increase safety and climate resilience.”

The tunnel was closed last summer so crews could work on the ceiling, walls, lighting lines and wiring. This year, officials said, the focus will be on the road surface.

On the Friday before Labor Day Weekend, the partially renovated Sumner Tunnel was finally open after months of work.

“This is a critically important infrastructure project that will ensure the Sumner Tunnel remains safe and structurally sound for generations,” Transportation Minister Monica Tibbits-Nutt said in a news release.

Discounted or free public transportation options will be available to drivers, MassDOT said.

The weekend closures will take place from Friday 11:00 PM to Monday 5:00 AM. However, there are no closures during holiday weekends.

Once the work is completed, the safe life of the Sumner Tunnel will be extended by at least 50 years.

For more information about the Sumner Tunnel closure, visit mass.gov.