Big Dig Ceiling Collapse - Immediate Aftermath and Fallout

Immediate Aftermath and Fallout

Calling the area a crime scene, Attorney General Tom Reilly issued subpoenas to those involved in the construction and testing of the tunnels. Governor Mitt Romney returned from a vacation in New Hampshire to view the condition of the tunnels. The east ends of the westbound and eastbound connector tunnels were designed and constructed in the same manner. Neither end of tunnel was designed for a hanging ceiling system; in fact, the ends of the connector tunnels had been constructed much earlier than the remaining tunnel sections (which incorporated an embedded ceiling hanger connection in the design) to allow for the construction of the D Street bridge above. The collapse of the ceiling structure began with the simultaneous creep-type failure of several anchors embedded in epoxy in the tunnels roof slab. Each of the panel's intersecting connection points consist of several individual anchorages into the roof slab concrete. The failure of a group of anchors set off a chain reaction which caused other adjacent connection groups to creep then fail, sending 12 tons of concrete to the roadway below.

The Governor ordered the closure of connecting roads that lead into the Fort Point Channel Tunnel and several ramps to the westbound section from within the city. These closures caused dramatic overflow congestion throughout the city as motorists sought alternate routes to and from Logan International Airport and several other key arterials. Beyond the difficulties posed within the city, the Fort Point Channel Tunnel and Ted Williams Tunnel links the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 93 to Logan, so this also blocked a key inbound link for airport travelers coming from outside the city, forcing them to seek alternate routes or follow poorly marked detours that wind through the city, often resulting in additional travel times of one hour or more.

The legislature approved the governor's plan to assume oversight of the investigation into the collapse, taking responsibility away from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, and additionally allocating $20 million for a "stem to stern" safety review of the Central Artery system. At the request of all the members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, the National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a six-member civil engineering team to Boston to inspect the accident scene and determine whether a full-scale investigation was warranted.

Those safety inspections ultimately identified 242 potentially dangerous bolt fixtures that support the ceiling tiles in the Interstate 90 connector tunnel. As problems throughout the tunnels were identified, various sections of roadway were closed and re-opened as deemed appropriate. The most recent concerns to be aired include ceiling fans, weighing approximately three tons each, to circulate air throughout the tunnel system.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a report on the one year anniversary of the disaster which attributed the major cause of the collapse to "epoxy creep".

On August 8, 2007, a Suffolk County Grand Jury indicted epoxy company Powers Fasteners, Inc., on one charge of involuntary manslaughter, with the maximum penalty in Massachusetts being a fine of one thousand dollars.