‘Ditch the Drive’: MassDOT urging commuters to use public transportation amid Sumner Tunnel shutdown

BOSTON — State transportation authorities are urging commuters to “Ditch The Drive” and use public transportation amid the historic eight-week closure of the Sumner Tunnel.

The Sumner Tunnel is an inbound tunnel that carries traffic under Boston Harbor and into the city. It will be shut down for 8 weeks; the next phase of a $160 million renovation project.

About 40,000 vehicles use the Sumner every day.

To say a day of reckoning for Boston traffic is upon us would be a bit of an understatement.

State officials are saying multi-hour backups on area roads are a real possibility.

“If you have a time-critical appointment, give yourself a lot of extra time to get there, if you have to drive. It’s going to be a difficult couple of months, for sure,” said Jonathan Gulliver of MASS DOT.

This is not what drivers at the Sumner want to hear.

“The summer tunnel is going to be closed all summer, what do you think?” Boston 25′s Bob Ward asked one driver

“That’s terrible, it’s awful,” he said.

“Why do we pay taxes to have the tunnel closed? Come on man, what’s the point?” said a passenger in the car.

“What do you think about the tunnel closing for the summer?” Ward asked another driver.

“It sucks. It’s so bad,” she said. “It’s going to be the heaviest we’ve had people in Boston. Not excited.”

The closing of the Sumner is expected to have such an enormous impact on all travelers, Massport’s CEO is warning that customers of Logan Airport will feel the pain, no matter where they live.

“We are asking people to plan for an extra two hours of travel time coming to and leaving Logan Airport,” said Lisa Wieland, Massport’s CEO.

The eight-week solution to all this, in addition to patience, is to use public transportation.

North Shore T and commuter line riders will see free or reduced fares.

Bus routes will be added and so too will ferry service from Lynn.

“The T is ready to step up and move the public, move essential workers, travelers, and transit-dependent riders during the Sumner Tunnel shutdown,” said MBTA GM Phillip Eng.

The Summer Tunnel closed at midnight Wednesday.

It won’t reopen again until August 31st.

Fingers crossed the impact won’t be severe because they will have to close the Sumner again next year, to finish the project.

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