(no subject)

[sophiaserpentia]

The Big Dig debacle has just expanded a great deal. Massport, which runs Logan Airport, refused to accept ownership of the Ted Williams tunnel and a bridge leading into the airport. Their refusal has little to do with the ceiling collapse two weeks ago:

The tunnel section has been damaged by water leaking from ceilings and walls, according to the documents and interviews. In addition, the pavement on the ramp is cracked, and the concrete supports have air pockets, potentially weakening the structure.

The tunnel and ramp, which are part of the Big Dig, opened in 2001. The construction was overseen by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and project manager Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Because of the construction flaws, Massport, which operates the airport, is holding back $50 million it was scheduled to pay in exchange for gaining control of the roads under an agreement approved in 1999 by the Legislature to help finance the Big Dig. Massport is demanding that the Turnpike Authority either complete repairs, which may cost as much as $20 million, or that the authority pay Massport to make the repairs.

A Massport executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the problems pose no immediate risk to public safety. But he expressed concern that continued neglect could cause disintegration of the concrete that forms much of the tunnel and ramp structure.

Correspondence obtained by the Globe shows that Massport has complained for several years to the Turnpike Authority about the construction and delayed repairs.

... In the interview with the Globe, the Massport executive outlined several problems, including the existence of voids, or air pockets, in the concrete beams that hold up the ramp. Those voids attract moisture, which can corrode concrete, though no corrosion currently is visible, he said.

On the road surface of the ramp, the executive said, the top layer of pavement, which is 1 1/2 inches thick, is supposed to last 15 to 20 years. But it has already cracked and crumbled after only five years of use -- problems that he said are obvious upon visual inspection. The cracks have allowed water and salt to penetrate, and threaten the underlying structural concrete, the executive said.

Massport rejects parts of Big Dig