2-Year Sumner Tunnel Travel Nightmare Ends With Final Weekend Closure

SALEM, MA — Drivers who survived the 59 weekend closures, 88 days of complete shutdown over two summers and two years of finding other ways to get to and from the North Shore into Boston and Logan Airport can breathe a long-awaited sigh of relief after the state Department of Transportation said on Monday that the $160 million restoration project is considered "substantially complete."

MassDOT had said at the end of the summer shutdown in August that weekend closures could continue into mid-November but said on Monday that no more complete shutdowns will be necessary. Final work will be done during "normal off-peak operations."

"We are thrilled that we have been able to deliver this project ahead of schedule," said
State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "I also want to thank the traveling public and residents for their patience and support during this important project."

The restoration work included reconstructing the tunnel ceiling, roadway, walls, wiring, drainage and both safety and resiliency improvements. MassDOT officials said the restoration will extend the tunnel's "useful life" for at least 75 years.

"The Sumner Tunnel Restoration Project was a hugely important effort that ensures this vital piece of infrastructure is in the best possible condition going forward," said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "We know this project created inconveniences for the public and particularly the people of East Boston."

The tunnel was completely shut down for 57 days in the summer of 2023 and an additional 31 days this past summer.

The MBTA instituted temporary fair reductions, and additional commuter rail and ferry service, throughout the shutdowns to mitigate the "traffic nightmare" that most had predicted.

Weekend shutdowns from Friday at 11 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m. spanned 59 weekends over two years.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached @Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)