BOSTON (AP) – It’s not just water that’s being sprung by the hundreds of leaks in the Big Dig highway tunnels. Now, it’s fireproofing material that’s falling.
Big Dig officials said Thursday that they’ve identified 20 new areas inside the Interstate 93 tunnel where fireproofing is in danger of falling. That’s after fireproofing material fell earlier in the week on the southbound side.
The fireproofing problems are related to the hundreds of leaks that were publicly revealed last September, when water broke though a wall panel, causing flooding and major traffic congestion. The leaking water has soaked fireproofing material, and the water, combined with chilly winter conditions, has made some of the material crumble and fall.
The 20 problem areas were discovered during overnight inspections Wednesday and Thursday, Big Dig spokeswoman Mariellen Burns said. In the four spots that were directly over the travel lanes, fireproofing was removed, she said. The other areas were above maintenance walkways along the tunnel walls.
“There has been a flow of the water on the fireproofing, it appears,” Burns said. “That is somewhat problematic but what has added to that is low temperatures caused icing.”
Repairs to the fireproofing are scheduled to take place in June through August, when the warmer weather will make it easier for the repairs to take hold – and to give contractors more time to fully assess the extent of damage from the leaks.
The falling debris forced the closure of one lane for about an hour during Monday’s evening rush hour. There were no injuries, but the incident was the latest in a series of mishaps involving the $14.6 billion project, the most expensive in U.S. history. It has seen numerous delays and cost overruns.
Also Thursday, lawyers in the state attorney general’s office said they are continuing to move ahead with efforts to recover money from the Big Dig cost overruns through the courts. At the same time, however, they are continuing to negotiate with contractors and the project managers, Bechtel/Parsons Brinkerhoff.
Trials in eight lawsuits could begin next January while settlements are close in two other smaller lawsuits, according to First Assistant Attorney General Stephanie Lovell. The state is seeking a total of about $13.6 million from those suits.
Burns said the cost to make those repairs to the fireproofing will be included in the attorney general’s efforts to recover money.
“Our agreement with the contractors is that they will deliver a dry tunnel,” Burns said. “That doesn’t mean watertight. It means that there’s always going to be leak maintenance. What level of that will be determined.”
The effort to recover money recently was taken over by Attorney General Tom Reilly from the Turnpike Authority. State attorneys say they plan to get money one way or another – either through pursuing the lawsuits or settling them.
“We are proceeding on two tracks. We are proceeding on the litigation and we’re also proceeding on developing a negotiation process,” she said. “We’re trying to create an environment where we can do a negotiation while simultaneously keeping pressure on the parties.”
A call to a spokesman for Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff was not immediately returned.
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