Sumner Tunnel closure means tough months ahead for Logan Airport passengers

BOSTON — Beginning July 5th, allow extra time for a flight out of Logan -- as in up to four hours before departure. Aviation Director Edward Freni said that an extra couple of hours is to cover potential traffic delays expected as a result of the full-time closure of the Sumner Tunnel from July 5 - August 31.

“We’re going to be impacted more than people imagine,” said Freni. “We’re trying to get the message out because it’s going to impact anybody who’s going to travel during that eight-week period.”

The closure of the Sumner will leave the Ted Williams Tunnel as the only option for exiting west and into the city by vehicle. Already, the Williams Tunnel sees frequent back-ups -- as it’s a conduit for both airport arrivals and populous communities on the North Shore.

While there is really no good time to shut down a major traffic tunnel for two months, the Sumner closing is hitting Logan at a particularly vulnerable time. Summer travel is booming -- with some airlines even bringing back into service large, four-engined planes such as the Airbus A-380 to meet the demand.

“We’re almost as busy as we were when we broke records in 2019,” Freni said.

In fact, Logan traffic is off just 3% from that high-water mark of 42 million passengers set before the pandemic. Massport’s concern is that passengers arriving by vehicle could wind up missing flights, if they don’t allow for that extra couple of hours.

But there is another option -- and it’s one Massport is encouraging: take public transportation.

Freni said during the Sumner closure, Blue Line trains and Silver Line buses will be free for airport customers. And then there is Logan Express -- with dedicated airport buses departing from points such as Braintree, Woburn and Framingham.

“Once you get here we’ll be ready,” Freni said. “We have enough people on the floor, TSA is well-staffed. We’ll get people processed. We’ll probably handle 130 - 140,000 passengers a day.”

Caroline Armitage is flying out of Logan later in the summer for a vacation. She is not looking forward to the potential traffic nightmare.

“I think it’s gonna be bad,” she said. “For those of us who are planning to travel, you’re either going to have to get livery or you’re going to have to pay for parking somewhere else then take public transit. And no. Especially when you’re trying to get six and seven people on a plane.”

For Mark McManus, the Sumner project was a life-altering event. We caught him leaving the airport after what was his last day on the job at one of Logan’s restaurants.

“Now that I know the tunnel’s closing I’m gonna make sure that it doesn’t take me two hours to get home every day, so I decided to take another job instead,” said McManus -- who lives just 20 minutes from Logan.

He predicts others employed at the airport will leave, too.

“I mean, it’s gotta be done,” McManus said. “The tunnel’s 90 years old so you have to do it.”

Down in the limo lot outside Terminal A, the Sumner closure has been a hot topic of conversation.

“We’ve been notifying clients and warning them ahead of time,” said limo driver Regis Dube. “Hopefully they can cut it down to less than two months. That’s what we’re hoping.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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