Attention all Boston travelers: The Sumner Tunnel, the main artery from Boston’s Logan International Airport and East Boston to downtown Boston and Cambridge, just fully closed for restoration work for the next two months. RELATED: 12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
According to NBC Boston: “The tunnel, built in the 1930s, needs an overhaul, including a new ceiling, new roadway surface, repaired walls and new lights. For the past year, the tunnel has already closed down on most weekends as the repair work began. The full closure will allow work to speed up. The tunnel is expected to reopen on Sept. 1. But weekend closures will continue in the fall, and another full shutdown will take place for two months next summer.”
Boston’s local WBUR News created a quick guide to survive day one of the disruptive Sumner Tunnel closure. They write: “You probably shouldn’t try driving or Ubering to Logan Airport. But if you do, Massport says to give yourself an additional two hours to get there. Or take the Blue Line, Silver Line, ferry or Logan Express bus, which is $3 from Back Bay and $9 from the ‘burbs. The best day to take public transit or work from home: Gulliver predicts the worst traffic day will be this coming Monday, July 10.”
David Slotnick, the Boston-based, airline business reporter for The Points Guy, put it best. “The idea that people should allow an extra two hours to get to/from Boston Logan Airport for the rest of the summer is so bewildering. Forget frequent travelers; are airport workers supposed to spend an extra four hours commuting every day?”
The idea that people should allow an extra two hours to get to/from Boston Logan Airport for the rest of the summer is so bewildering. Forget frequent travelers; are airport workers supposed to spend an extra four hours commuting every day?
— David Slotnick (@David_Slotnick) July 5, 2023
Massachussetts Transportation @MassDOT tweeted warnings too:
⚠️The #SumnerTunnel is now CLOSED from July 5, 2023 until August 31, 2023. ⚠️
#DitchTheDrive and utilize public transportation:
🚇 Free trips on the @MBTA Blue Line
⛴️ Free and discounted ferry options
🚆 Reduced @MBTA_CR fares & parking costs
ℹ️ http://mass.gov/sumner-tunnel
⚠️The #SumnerTunnel is now CLOSED from July 5, 2023 until August 31, 2023. ⚠️ #DitchTheDrive and utilize public transportation:
🚇 Free trips on the @MBTA Blue Line
⛴️ Free and discounted ferry options
🚆 Reduced @MBTA_CR fares & parking costs
ℹ️ https://t.co/EZdZn7URNH pic.twitter.com/tBQHHeYyKA— Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) July 5, 2023
So if you’re planning on traveling to and from BOS this summer, be prepared for a lengthy ride in and out. The good news is that the Blue Line will be free for riders. But your best bet is probably the Logan Express, the Logan Water Taxi, or the Hingham/Hull Ferry.
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Allowing an extra two hours seems preposterous. We have flown in/out of Boston numerous times during the period of weekend closures, and it has definitely taken longer by Uber/Taxi to get in/out of downtown, but nothing approaching two hours longer.
I would gladly fly to/from an alternative airport, but coming from the west coast, Logan is really the only viable option.