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Boston's Morning Newsletter
This year's Sumner Tunnel closure reduced to just one month
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Lana Del Rey may be coming to Fenway Park next month, but we won’t be feeling as much Sumner-time sadness as last year.
Tunnel vision: We’re less than two months away from the second big Sumner Tunnel closure, but unlike last year it won’t be for two full months. State officials announced yesterday they’ve cut the expected length of this year’s closure in half — down to just a single month. Under the new schedule, the Sumner will shut down on Friday, July 5, and reopen “no later” than Monday, Aug. 5.
- How’d they shorten it? While last year’s closure rehabilitated the 88-year-old tunnel’s ceiling, walls and lighting, this summer’s closure will turn its focus to the road deck. And upon closer inspection during some of the recent weekend closures, MassDOT officials realized they don’t need a full two months to get that work done. “We were able to compress the work and instead schedule some of the extra work that doesn’t need a full closure into additional weekend closures that will happen this fall,” Massachusetts Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said yesterday.
- The new plan does mean more weekend closures. The exact number depends on how productive crews are during that one month. But according to Gulliver, they’ll likely continue into October, excluding some holiday weekends: “Our expectation is that we won’t need much more than that, but we have allowed for [the state’s contractor] to go up to Thanksgiving.”
- How to get around it: While it’s not two months, that one-month closure is still the most disruptive MassDOT project of the year. State officials are encouraging residents to take public transit to and from East Boston and Logan Airport to avoid the detours and general congestion caused by traffic backups. So, they’re offering the same package of incentives as last year: free Blue Line, free ferries, free buses, commuter rail discounts and more.
Show me the money: Massachusetts Senate leaders unveiled a nearly $58 billion annual budget proposal yesterday. How does this one compare to past budgets? It’s more than 3% higher than last year’s budget, but slightly more fiscally conservative than both the new budgets proposed by Gov. Maura Healey and approved by the House, according to reporting from WBUR’s Walter Wuthmann.
- Where does the Senate think we should invest? Education and transportation. The proposal would allocate over $117 million to make Massachusetts community college free for all students, and about $40 million toward making Massachusetts’ regional bus systems (like the WRTA) free for riders. “It reflects the priorities of the senators, which includes ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens are taken care of, that our cities and towns have the resources they need to provide their essential services,” Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues told Walt.
- What’s next? Compromise. The Senate and House need to agree on a new budget before the fiscal year starts on July 1. (We’re not holding our breath they’ll meet that deadline since the Legislature has not passed a budget on time in the last 13 years.)
The latest: Steward Health Care is putting its hospitals — including eight in Massachusetts — on the auction block. At a bankruptcy court hearing yesterday, lawyers for the for-profit hospital chain said they’re aiming to sell the hospitals by the end of June, with the goal of keeping them up and running through the change in ownership.
- Go deeper: Here are five things to know about Steward’s bankruptcy process.
PSA: The City of Boston wants to help you pay to host a block party — again. The grants, back for a second summer in a row, provide up to $750 for residents to host community gatherings. You can use the cash to cover everything from food to games. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis (or until the funds are gone) by July 31. So, get planning! (The city even has a planning guide to help you do so.)
P.S.— Mother’s Day is coming up soon, and we have a great way to show the moms in your life just how much you care, while supporting the news you rely on. Send Winston Flowers from WBUR. You can choose from four beautiful options, with local delivery beginning later this week. (And if you’re doing some last-minute shopping, check out these unique shops around Boston to pair your flowers with a one-of-a-kind gift.)
