Agency Launches Investigation After Fixture Falls at Boston Tunnel

The state of Massachusetts is seeking damages from the manufacturer of a 110-lb light fixture that fell onto a Central Artery tunnel roadway in early February.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority informed the public about the incident last week.

“One of the 23,000 light fixtures in the Central Artery Tunnel system fell onto the roadway on the morning of February 8,” says a spokesperson for the MBTA.

Although there were no injuries or property damage, the incident has reignited concerns about safety of the $2 billion project.

The Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation claims it immediately began to inspect all of the tunnel light fixtures in an attempt to determine whether this was an isolated incident or a more systemic problem.

In July 2006, several 4,600-lb ceiling panels in another portion of the tunnel system broke free, crushing a passing car and killing 38-year-old Milena del Valle of Boston. The project, known as the Big Dig, was completed in 2007 and is considered the costliest public works project ever built.

Johanna Knapschaefer, ENR’s New England Special Correspondent, has been writing about trends in design and construction of buildings, bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure for more than a decade. She also profiles award-winning industry leaders and delves into broader construction issues such as workforce training, worker safety and health, climate change remediation and emerging offshore wind and tidal energy developments. Over the past two decades, her articles have appeared in Architectural Record, BusinessWeek, the Boston Globe, American Banker, Modern Metals, BusinessNH Magazine, Pittsburgh Magazine and many other publications. Johanna is fluent in Japanese, and taught English and academic writing in the Science and Engineering Department of Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, while living in Japan for eight years.

When not writing, Johanna enjoys mountain climbing, singing and playing her Spanish guitar.

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