Contact: Lorraine Marino 617-503-5536

Work begins on C17A6 as new CA/T projects lie ahead

Work is now underway on Central Artery/Tunnel contract C17A6, which is not only the Big Dig’s largest job but also the biggest project ever for the company. Modern Continental crews have begun excavation and bracing work on a new 900-foot section of the I-93 southbound tunnel, and have also started to brace the existing boat section approach to the Dewey Square Tunnel.
 
C17A6 includes the most comprehensive scope of work of any CA/T project. The southbound tunnel, which will reach depths of nearly 90 feet in some places, will eventually tie into a reconfigured Dewey Square Tunnel, completing the underground construction downtown. During this time, the Dewey Square Tunnel will remain open to traffic. Eventually, the south portal of the new tunnel will be tied into the new viaducts and ramps south of the city. The entire elevated structure from just south of the existing I-93 bridge, near Congress Street where it reaches grade, will be demolished. Following that, all the surface streets and utilities will be restored, along with miscellaneous ramps and ties to the new underground Artery. Final landscaping of the downtown corridor will then take place.
 
Modern won the C17A6 job in the summer of 2001 on a bid of just under $415 million. This was an important project, due not only to its value but for its visibility as well. Major construction and demolition is taking place above ground, within eyesight of the public, as people will get to see the old elevated highway come down, day-by-day. "We’re very excited about this job because it’s the last key" to the Big Dig, Modern President John Pastore told The Boston Globe when the contract award was announced. "It’s a little different than all the other projects because it contains so many aspects. We worked very hard on the estimate. It’s very fulfilling."
 
Overall, CA/T officials say that the Big Dig is now more than 80% complete, with just a handful of smaller contracts remaining before the project is finished.
 
Contract C19E6
In other CA/T news, Modern was awarded another Artery job – contract C19E6 – for just over $38 million in September. This project, which involves building ramps for the I-93 Leverett Circle/Storrow Drive Connectors, includes the construction of six spans of steel box girder viaduct, completion of one span of transition viaduct, completion of three portions of boat section ramps, completion of portions of highway ramps, underpinning two existing Green Line viaduct bents and one highway viaduct bent, completion of viaduct curtain walls, construction of an emergency egress tunnel and head house, maintenance and removal of a temporary pedestrian bridge, demolishing of existing structures, and other related work.
 
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