The Serpent's Wisdom

In a rare instance of icy-cold January weather, much of the Northeast awoke Tuesday morning to find itself buried under nearly 1.5 inches of snowfall.

"This is really bizarre," said Syracuse resident Mary Baloh, who noted that her garden was doing very well until the unexpected weather struck. "I've seen some freak weather in my lifetime, but this definitely tops them all."

"It's like Christmas in January," Baloh added.

... [A] few adventuresome individuals ventured outside to frolic in the strangely still, white scene, donning cross-country skis, thick boots, and other accessories more appropriate for Alpine climes than the northeastern United States.

"Look, you can almost make a snowball," said 17-year-old Theo Baldesseri in Pittsburgh's Riverview Park. "My older cousin told me about stuff like this happening when he was a kid, but I always thought he was just making it up."

from Northeast Stunned by Freak January Snowfall

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

Gov. Mitt Romney put plans in place to seize control of inspections in the Big Dig tunnel system where falling ceiling panels fatally crushed a woman, saying an independent assessment was necessary to restore public trust.

Romney was expected to sign an emergency bill Friday morning, passed overwhelmingly by the Legislature late Thursday, that would also give him ultimate say on when the tunnels reopen, instead of the Turnpike Authority chairman.

from Gov. Romney seeks control of Big Dig probe