Uncovering Boston's "Big Dig"

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  • Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
  • "Sunday Morning" anchor Charles Osgood goes underground to explore Boston's Big Dig, already well on its way to becoming the most expensive highway project in U.S. history. Originally broadcast May 7, 2000 - 7.5 years before the project was finally finished.

КОМЕНТАРІ •

  • @davidcoviello6808
    @davidcoviello6808 4 роки тому +50

    I'm a historian/tour guide in Boston. This project was totally worth every penny, especially when you consider what the city would be like if nothing was done (hint: it would be awful). Since the completion of the project in 2006, the economy of the Boston region has greatly expanded. Much of that growth was made possible by the Big Dig. Those cranes are all still in Boston, but they're building high-rises and corporate headquarters in South Boston, East Cambridge, Charlestown, Brighton, etc. Much of the engineering for the tunnels were things that had never been done before because of the physical constraints of building in a dense city. Air pollution is down, and even though traffic is still a problem, at least its in a tunnel underground, away from street level. The North End and waterfront have been reconnected with beautiful parks and pedestrian ways. Its made it much more enjoyable for residents and tourists. Yes, its expensive to live here and its not for everyone, blah blah, its a fantastic city that I get to show off for work! The Federal money that comes from the Boston area GDP funds the building and social programs of other states. Mass. provides more federal revenue than it gets in return in the form of federal funding (by about 20 Billion in 2020!) So Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana, Idaho, (insert red state here) you've welcome for your Social Security, interstate highways, Medicaid, and other federal programs that YOU DON'T PAY FOR but its for the greater good of us all.

    • @nativeseneca7181
      @nativeseneca7181 2 роки тому +3

      And Im sure every penny that man got for the project went into the project right? Not in his pocket?

    • @rocknbury
      @rocknbury 2 роки тому +1

      Huh

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      @@nativeseneca7181 Considering that the project went $12 billion over the projected budget, I think it’s safe to say that it didn’t make anyone richer.

  • @CTAjunior
    @CTAjunior 5 років тому +80

    People simply can’t understand what this project was. You cannot fathom the massive scale and what went into making this work. You had to work in the project or live in the area before, during and after. I luckily moved to Boston in 2002 and moved out in 2017. I saw this city flourish from an empty, dirty Fenway riverway, the mess that was “big dig”, and disgusting “seaport” to a modern, clean Fenway, a beautiful surface downtown park, a state of the art 8-lane underground highway and the clean “glass city” that is seaport, the new place to hang out. Put it this way, with all their construction, New York looks the same, still dirty and messy while Boston blossomed into a clean night & day type change city.

    • @frankmastroianni3351
      @frankmastroianni3351 4 роки тому +6

      totally agree, so lucky to go to school here after this project was finished. love this city

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому +1

      It really improved the city. Too bad it went on so much longer than expected. It was supposed to take 5 years, but instead went on for 17 years.

    • @joe-bg6ij
      @joe-bg6ij 6 місяців тому

      Ya it was worth it gotta modernized whenever you can might not get a chance for a couple decades

  • @bostondan6693
    @bostondan6693 5 років тому +91

    I learned to drive in the Big Dig. The first time I drove in NYC and thought it would be scary, but the Big Dig prepared me for anything. It's pretty great today, a trip from Somerville to Logan used to take close to 40 minutes, today in low traffic it only takes about 10 minutes. Boston traffic still sucks, but it sucks everyplace.

    • @williamgeorgelopezjunior8533
      @williamgeorgelopezjunior8533 5 років тому +5

      Boston Dan the brighams guy looks like Marty Walsh

    • @tankgreenthumb7979
      @tankgreenthumb7979 5 років тому +4

      There's 3 times as many people now in the city than before the big dig if it wasn't for that traffic wouldn't be so crazy

    • @glenncardalino8660
      @glenncardalino8660 3 роки тому

      Ayyye I know this Dan guy 🤣

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      There’s still a lot of traffic, but putting the Central Artery underground reduced air pollution.

    • @machsolid6402
      @machsolid6402 Рік тому

      It’s nice but not for what it was supposed to do and for the price ? Highway robbery .

  • @AssinnippiJack
    @AssinnippiJack 5 років тому +184

    I worked on the Dig from beginning to end. It was the key to closing the door to the 20th century & opening the 21st. Boston had to do it to ensure a viable future. We're better off.

    • @robertewalt7789
      @robertewalt7789 5 років тому +3

      I watched it get better and better, taking my son to college there. 2002 to 2007.

    • @MrLearn2board
      @MrLearn2board 5 років тому

      Who was the general contractor?

    • @vargasmx
      @vargasmx 5 років тому +1

      @@MrLearn2board Bechtel and some other

    • @claytammaro7060
      @claytammaro7060 5 років тому +1

      AssinnippiJack I also worked the big dig LU56 worked nites for years , hard work but good work.

    • @zillsburyy1
      @zillsburyy1 5 років тому +3

      we still SUCK!!!!!

  • @ACGreyhound04
    @ACGreyhound04 5 років тому +29

    I have worked for many years in the Back Bay (Boylston Street and then Huntington Ave) and when I used to commute from central MA, I often walked from North Station to work. The area around North Station used to be ugly and depressing, with elevated train tracks and highways darkening the neighborhood. Now the area is actually open and pleasant. Now that I live much closer to the city, I often walk that route in reverse in the spring and summer, from Back Bay TO North Station, just to see all the interesting new attractions now opening in that area.

  • @miraflynn8935
    @miraflynn8935 5 років тому +91

    Almost every large engineering project goes over cost because anyone who estimates a realistic price loses the contract. Companies can not get the contract for any part of a project while giving a practical estimate because the government will choose a competitor who gives a lower, less realistic estimate

    • @dddhhh2612
      @dddhhh2612 5 років тому +8

      nailed it! That is experience and reality talking!

    • @deineroehre
      @deineroehre 5 років тому +4

      Would end soon if the estimate "in the middle of the range" would have to be choosen.

    • @benkleschinsky
      @benkleschinsky 4 роки тому

      That and the mob. Wink.

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому +1

      Plus, you have to figure inflation as well.

  • @moiscotv
    @moiscotv 5 років тому +36

    Well...it turned out to be a huge success, and Boston is as beautiful and as convenient as ever!

    • @alucardwingates447
      @alucardwingates447 2 роки тому +1

      @bundycamp why was failure?

    • @201hastings
      @201hastings 2 роки тому +2

      @@alucardwingates447 it cost 24.3 billion dollars in total blowing its original budget by 200%. To put that in perspective the tunnel that links Great Britain to France cost 21 billion dollars.

  • @Davanthall
    @Davanthall 6 років тому +217

    it's kinda sad to see them whining and moaning about the politics and budget of the Big Dig when now, it's finished and Boston is so, SOOOO much nicer for it. I wouldn't want the Big Dig to be reversed even if everyone got all their money back with interest. the greenway is a such a nice part of the city now, and I'm glad it replaced that gross overpass.

    • @antoniochiappetta4833
      @antoniochiappetta4833 6 років тому +35

      Davanthall
      I’m glad you’re happy with my tax dollars paying for a city I’ll never visit

    • @CJaguar265
      @CJaguar265 6 років тому +5

      i miss the old artery

    • @propyl_acetate
      @propyl_acetate 6 років тому +58

      Antonio Chiappetta Good Lord, that’s such a boomer thing to say.

    • @shangli8641
      @shangli8641 6 років тому +31

      Antonio Chiappetta Massachusetts pays more than 25 billion dollars in federal taxes every year. And the Boston metro makeup 80% of the states GDP. Over a 20year span when the money was approved and until the project was completed, Boston residents alone probably paid a lot more than the 15 billion. Also the foundation of federalism is that the federal government could appropriate funding using the tax it collected.

    • @antoniochiappetta4833
      @antoniochiappetta4833 6 років тому +6

      Shang Li
      So are you saying the money appropriated was a good thing??
      Not in my opinion, sorry

  • @erichowry9356
    @erichowry9356 8 місяців тому +1

    I remember going to Boston in the mid 90's to visit friends and they always took me to see the Big Dig. I cannot believe it's finished.

  • @rogerhazen3664
    @rogerhazen3664 6 років тому +16

    Awesome fresh footage. Original Content!

  • @user-if4df7lk1z
    @user-if4df7lk1z 6 років тому +121

    People always complain about large projects like this one. Until the project is finished though. And they start reaping the benefits.

    • @dab0331
      @dab0331 5 років тому +9

      That's like saying people are just bitching when their grocery bill jumps up to $5,000.
      The projects are worth it only if they COST appropriately.

    • @gregoryhughes
      @gregoryhughes 5 років тому +10

      While I generally agree, the big dig was extremely poorly managed; fraudulent in some cases.

    • @fhowland
      @fhowland 5 років тому +5

      You must not live in mass.

    • @funny3scene
      @funny3scene 5 років тому +4

      Eric Judkins-van buren 93 is still trash, even worse now with how many people are driving. It was a complete waste of $12 billion dollars.

    • @funny3scene
      @funny3scene 5 років тому +1

      Craig F. Thompson yes I completely agree there, never understood why they weren’t connected. Or just take that $12 billion and use it to expand the already existing highway, they literally did the big dig because the parkway was “unsightly” a complete waste. And they didn’t even make it more than 3 lanes.

  • @stephenbruce8320
    @stephenbruce8320 Рік тому +3

    I lived through the Big Dig, found it frustrating and confusing when I traveled to Boston. Before it was completed, I moved to GA and when the Big Dig was done, and I would fly home it was wicked awesome to travel through the tunnel and be on the Pike to and from Logan a blessing indeed. That overhead central artery was an abomination. After it was removed I never got to travel though Boston because I would fly into and out of Logan traveling from Worcester and it was a pure joy. I remember I could travel to Boston 40 mins on the Pick and it would take longer than that just to get to the tunnel to get to Logan something I hated so much. After the Big Dig getting in and out of Logan was a pure joy. It's been years since I have flown into Logan so I am not sure how it is today because the last few times I have traveled home it's been by car. I am too old to make that drive but next time I travel home I hope traveling the Pike to and from Logan is the same joy I receall and if it be so then the Big Dig was worth it's weight in gold. I now live in the Metro Altanta Area and they have 6 lanes of Highway running through Atlanta and they need 12 because its a nightmare much like everything merging in Boston with its 3 lanes.

  • @grayduckgaming_
    @grayduckgaming_ 2 роки тому +6

    Lived in Boston in 1996 and '97 and it was a mess. I haven't been back since and I cannot wait to see how different the city is now.

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому +2

      You will be pleasantly surprised! Not only has the Big Dig created a new green space where the elevated highway used to be, but Boston also has a cleaner harbor, a renovated harborside, a new neighborhood (Seaport) which consisted of a few parking lots when you were here last, a new public farmer’s market, less air pollution (because the Central Artery is now underground) a renovated downtown area, and so much more! The only thing it doesn’t have is affordable housing, which is a real shame. The rich just keep getting richer.

    • @grayduckgaming_
      @grayduckgaming_ Рік тому

      @Rebecca Haha yeah that sounds amazing other than the housing. A 4sq. ft. studio in Boston was 800-1000 per month without parking back then which was stupid expensive. I can't imagine how bad it is now.

    • @keegangidley2071
      @keegangidley2071 Рік тому

      @@rebecca8525it’s also extremely gentrified

  • @chhive
    @chhive 5 років тому +45

    “Oh my god!! Look at that dust, take a picture of that dust!” 🙀

    • @MsValerieDev
      @MsValerieDev 5 років тому +1

      Sarann K they should come to Phoenix. We have dust.

    • @whackamolechamp
      @whackamolechamp 4 роки тому +1

      That's what my mom says when she comes to my house.

    • @stratojack1
      @stratojack1 4 роки тому +4

      She was the chief complainer during construction. I wonder how she likes it now? 100% better! People like her helped drive costs up with new windows and mattresses, restricted work hours, sound walls, etc.

    • @InfectedChris
      @InfectedChris 4 роки тому +6

      The OG Karen.

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому +1

      @@whackamolechamp LOL! And I bet thats after you cleaned all day to prepare, right! my mom was similar! I think they bring a bag of dirt with them just so they can complain!

  • @A_ndrea
    @A_ndrea 2 роки тому +6

    As a north ender i can say this was entirely worth it. Our city is absolutely gorgeous now. Loving the green way so much! Does a way better job cutting us off from the rest of boston 😍

    • @lordvader6512
      @lordvader6512 2 роки тому

      I like the old way better. Cruising through Boston on elevated trains and highway with aromas of gas and diesel fuel. Gave the city more personality.

  • @pikminlord343
    @pikminlord343 8 років тому +35

    glad they finally finished it

  • @showcaseSampa
    @showcaseSampa 2 роки тому +1

    Rush hour return from Logan to Downtown, about 30-40 minutes, prior to the Big Dig, through the Summer Tunnel ( Calaghan in , Summer out ).
    Rush hour return from Logan to Downtown, about 10 minutes, through Ted Williams Tunnel.
    That and the fact you can coast Logan towards Metro West without having to cross downtown towards the Turnpike.
    And that the whole stretch between the waterfront and downtown has been reclaimed, once a dirt and convoluted swath of elevated pilings supporting I-93, which has become a magnificent open esplanade.
    Cost overruns asides, and the "big leak" aside, and death causing accidents aside, it was worth it.

  • @ryanweaver962
    @ryanweaver962 6 місяців тому

    So many things… one of my uncles worked on this. Unreal really… lots of learnings. I also have friends who live in Boston, it’s an amazing city and surrounding area…. Our oldest went to Berklee school of music. My college buddy works in environmental cleanups… when we look at urban and rural and suburban works over time and space… the reality of work overlay is quite impactful.

  • @johndoe1765
    @johndoe1765 4 роки тому +3

    IT WAS GREAT I WAS IN CONSTRUCTION BEFORE AND DURING THAT TIME IN BOSTON ,BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IT WAS THE START OF GENTRIFICATION FOR AREAS AROUND DOWNTOWN BOSTON .

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому +1

      No need to yell, we can hear you fine!

  • @grapes481
    @grapes481 5 років тому +10

    I gotta say more that 10 years after its completion Boston still have a huge presence in construction.

    • @tailgunner2
      @tailgunner2 5 років тому +4

      And after more than ten years, there are people that are finally getting off the central artery now!
      😁

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому

      @@tailgunner2 LMAO! They were too busy staring at their phones!

  • @jimmichaels2319
    @jimmichaels2319 10 місяців тому

    Andrew Natsios' comment at about 8:30 is spot on. Frankly, we have forgotten. And what has replaced the Central Artery is such a huge improvement.

  • @milestone_achiever4634
    @milestone_achiever4634 2 роки тому +2

    The first time I traveled to Boston was in fall of 2003.
    I took the Chinese charter coach from lower Manhattan. I recall seeing the heaps and heaps of construction zones on I-93 and on the street downtown
    Two years later, I drove to Boston and the tunnel was actually done.

  • @trump6200
    @trump6200 5 років тому +23

    So Marty Walsh actually owned a ice cream parlor before he became mayor?

    • @Woodsey429
      @Woodsey429 5 років тому

      Trump lol

    • @1SNOWMANNH
      @1SNOWMANNH 5 років тому

      F Marty!

    • @benkleschinsky
      @benkleschinsky 4 роки тому

      Joe Walsh is the worst Mayor we ever had, but he can play a mean guitar.

  • @rexhargrove5172
    @rexhargrove5172 6 років тому +27

    I wonder if Uber has put that cab driver out of business yet

  • @leslieelaine8499
    @leslieelaine8499 8 років тому +6

    I had forgotten about his little rhymes to close certain stories!

  • @hebneh
    @hebneh 5 років тому +15

    I am positive that EVERY large civic project in the USA, particularly for transportation, goes over budget and takes longer than it was supposed to. Every one of them. I live in Honolulu and we're currently building an elevated train system that is getting the usual endless complaints, just like this did.

    • @lhaviland8602
      @lhaviland8602 5 років тому +1

      Not the hoover dam...

    • @tomcat_1484
      @tomcat_1484 5 років тому

      @@lhaviland8602 yes bc at the time it was in the middle of nowhere and people needed jobs desperately so if they could get one they wouldn't be complaining.

    • @benkleschinsky
      @benkleschinsky 4 роки тому +1

      Got to pay the mob boss at the end of the day.

  • @InfectedChris
    @InfectedChris 4 роки тому +3

    This had been one of the greatest things to every happen to Boston.

  • @RobCarstuff9112
    @RobCarstuff9112 5 років тому +8

    Clearing 3 grand a week my uncle used to complain about how much taxes were taken out of his check.

    • @tjhancock85
      @tjhancock85 5 років тому

      Who doesnt

    • @studinthemaking
      @studinthemaking 5 років тому

      Rob Carstuff What does this has to do with this video?

    • @RobCarstuff9112
      @RobCarstuff9112 5 років тому +5

      @@studinthemaking He worked for the Big dig and for a average blue collar worker, making that much money back then was unheard of in most social circles.

  • @copyright-ur1sf
    @copyright-ur1sf 2 роки тому +1

    I remember going to the Museum of Science in Boston to see an exhbit about the Big Dig when I was in third grade. I was almost 26 by the time it was completely finished. I will say that it vastly improved traffic but I do kinda miss the views from the upper deck past Storrow Dr. At least there are videos of it on UA-cam floating around.

  • @robertewalt7789
    @robertewalt7789 3 роки тому +1

    We saw much of the work - taking my son to and from college during the work.

  • @chefTimour
    @chefTimour 5 років тому +5

    8:54 epic ending ! His speech mixed with the image 🤣🤣🤣

  • @chefTimour
    @chefTimour 5 років тому +3

    2:57 "you like that ? Isn't it wonderful ?" 😂😂😂

  • @Dirt-Industries
    @Dirt-Industries 5 років тому +2

    I was on holidays in Boston in 99 and I went to see the big dig and I agree it was big

  • @UNDERGROUNDskateco
    @UNDERGROUNDskateco 5 років тому +15

    shoutout to whoever used Herbie Hancock for the background music haha

    • @jsaavedr1
      @jsaavedr1 5 років тому

      Yeah exactly! It's too bad they didn't use Rockit instead.

  • @hrothgarnogar
    @hrothgarnogar 5 років тому +2

    To all the people complaining about people complaining about the Big Dig. Look, this wasn't just "an expensive project that went over budget". This project was estimated at $5.8 billion, and at the time this video was made, the estimate was increased to $8.55 billion dollars. That's not just "oops we went over budget". That's already way more, percentage-wise, than is normal. BUT IT DOESN"T END THERE. This project ended up costing over $15 billion. And then $21 billion after interest (all these numbers are adjusted for inflation). That is full on corruption and mismanagement. No one is saying this project shouldn't have been done, just that everyone who was involved in the planning of it did a terrible job and if we could go back in time to do it again we should.

  • @brianvolpe3242
    @brianvolpe3242 2 роки тому +1

    I remember driving into Boston to work with my dad and the big sign saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will the Big Dig!” We always had to leave no later then 5am or we could expect up to a hour of extra travel time stuck in traffic!

  • @greyjay9202
    @greyjay9202 Рік тому

    I have a friend who was a construction supervisor on the big dig. He told me stories about the payoffs, the shoddy workmanship, the workmen who were paid only to clock in and clock out, but never did any work, the substandard materials and flawed engineering, the frequent collapses, and a number of other shocking practices and events. The big dig is emblematic of a city infamous for its corruption.

    • @diddy5678
      @diddy5678 Рік тому

      Then he was part of the problem.

  • @s0nnyburnett
    @s0nnyburnett 5 років тому +15

    I'd rather live in the world of Boston 20 years ago a block away from the project than what the world has turned into today.

    • @georgeadams5390
      @georgeadams5390 5 років тому

      Cities are boring today

    • @davidschneider9264
      @davidschneider9264 5 років тому +3

      s0nnyburnett stop your whining. The world is much better then 100 years ago.

    • @M_Oz_
      @M_Oz_ 4 роки тому +1

      @@davidschneider9264 He is talking about 20 years ago

    • @copyright-ur1sf
      @copyright-ur1sf 2 роки тому +1

      Hmmm... lots to unpack here.

  • @RJLupin-zu9xv
    @RJLupin-zu9xv 5 років тому +16

    2:11 - Glory Hole?

    • @FloorEncer
      @FloorEncer 5 років тому

      And when they scrape the roadway before repaving we have raised manholes.
      www.google.com/search?q=raised+manholes&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk02V6FNL4pRszpq8C4-FV9oFOLRePA:1582510289935&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=8Ar0Zgru_B7znM%253A%252C3DL0DzQfBEAZYM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRG17t69sgap0DfqEhpEMQ51cEHqQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiugr2djunnAhUth-AKHXAAAi8Q9QEwAnoECAcQCA#imgrc=8Ar0Zgru_B7znM:

    • @bravegrape133
      @bravegrape133 4 роки тому

      an i oop

  • @qontoh2s872
    @qontoh2s872 6 років тому +11

    Yes, the Big Dig did make the city look better. As for easing our traffic problems? It didn't even make a dent. We're rated worst city in America as far as traffic congestion and it's only getting worse.

    • @alek488
      @alek488 5 років тому +5

      Qonto H2S8 there’s only 1 highway in from the south shore and the MBTA is unreliable so that’s why

    • @Arturo-sm1tb
      @Arturo-sm1tb 5 років тому +2

      not true Qonto. It is better than before the Dig. But Qonto, what is your solution to Boston's traffic? Need to hear your ideas...

    • @tankgreenthumb7979
      @tankgreenthumb7979 5 років тому +2

      That's due to the amount of people here

  • @ftnppg1272
    @ftnppg1272 5 років тому +3

    Meanwhile 65 percent of the roads I drive on in the USA are old, warped, cracked, and littered with bumps and potholes. I just drove I95 yesterday through south Georgia. They are doing construction but what a mess of a road that is. Our car was just constantly jumping up and down and swaying.
    Japan has nice roads, was there last summer with a rental car. The thing had 86hp but with the smooth glass feel of the roads and even transitions it made you always feel like you were a race car driver. The system just works so well. Their expansion joints on bridges dont sag like ours do. I thought I was crazy but nope. They build awesome roads that are thicker. Plus they are building more in Japan each day than America does in a month.

    • @nobrang5146
      @nobrang5146 5 років тому +3

      What does that have to do with Boston? Why should the people of Boston care about whats going on in Georgia?

    • @ftnppg1272
      @ftnppg1272 5 років тому +2

      @@nobrang5146 And let's not forget the Feds paid for 4 billion dollars of this massive failure. That effects more than just Boston. More than a quarter was paid by tax dollars taken from people in all states.

    • @fhowland
      @fhowland 5 років тому +2

      Don’t worry the roads still suck here in mass.

    • @tomcat_1484
      @tomcat_1484 5 років тому +1

      @@fhowland um wdym their so nice and smooth and well maintained. Have you ever driven in Rhode Island?

    • @ryann8680
      @ryann8680 5 років тому

      Japan isn't even as large as Florida, that has a lot to do with it...we have a boatload of open space to connect. Compared to Russia, another suitably sized country, our roads rock...plus Japan has no unions to grift millions out of every mile of construction

  • @brianburns7211
    @brianburns7211 5 років тому +4

    The last construction project in the Commonwealth of this financial and political magnitude was Hoosac Tunnel.

  • @bigthunder2860
    @bigthunder2860 5 років тому +7

    I knew a guy who rented two trucks and ran them 24hrs a day he rake in some dough and he didn't even work

  • @edwinsemidey1992
    @edwinsemidey1992 5 років тому +6

    What a mess it was, but the results were awesome

    • @lordvader6512
      @lordvader6512 2 роки тому

      I don't see it that way. The Ted Williams tunnel helped a little with airport trips. But other than that, traffic's worse than it was in the 90s and you're just bumper to bumper in the basement.

  • @froey198033
    @froey198033 5 років тому +1

    The Big Dig did it really make things better cause traffic is still horrific going through Boston. 93 North and South in the mornings is like a parking lot most of the time. I'm sure the Big Dig helped out but no one took into account how much traffic would be in the future.

    • @dp2120
      @dp2120 3 роки тому +1

      Of course they took into account how much traffic could increase. The 3 lane Charlestown High Bridge was replaced with the 10 lane Zakim and entire Ted Williams 4-6 tunnel was added. The issue is that traffic will always expand as a city expands; you can only build so much highway. This is part of why there were conditions in the bill that mandated increased spending on the T. Some has been done (e.g. Silver line) and some is yet to be done (e.g. Green Line extension through Medford), but traffic is undeniably better than it would've been if the Big Dig hadn't happened.

    • @HayastAnFedayi
      @HayastAnFedayi 2 роки тому +1

      It always gets lost that I93 pre big dig and post dig was never meant to be the sole main highway through Boston, it was only one link/arterial of a larger highway system that was never completed. Wether that would have been good, bad, ugly for Boston it doesn’t change the fact that it was part of an incomplete system.

  • @WilliamToll
    @WilliamToll 2 місяці тому

    And now it is the greatest city in the USA - and one where when traffic is light, you can drive through it at 55mph.

  • @milfordcivic6755
    @milfordcivic6755 Рік тому

    Thank god this project has been done for a long time. What a nightmare.

  • @camadams9149
    @camadams9149 3 роки тому +1

    It ended up being worth it. Boston is 100X better without that massive overhead freeway.
    I still refuse to drive in Boston and will only take the T, but getting rid of all that traffic has also been great for non-drivers

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому

      You definitely need nerves of steel in certain places! And parking is still a nightmare!

  • @ryanweaver962
    @ryanweaver962 6 місяців тому

    Far and away… trappings of time and space…. And so many learnings. If we look… and listen. Oddly… Cincinnati’s and Orlando and stake holders over time and space… Orlando.
    Yet, translation and transportation… sure… intersections. But as the means of lense… not so much. But… very very impactful. Prometheus and primers of ACA and beyond. Fascinating really.

  • @ryanweaver962
    @ryanweaver962 6 місяців тому

    Plato’s cave and beyond… the possible, actual, should and is and can and will… lots of choices and work

  • @Radiodaze1073
    @Radiodaze1073 10 місяців тому

    I understand the lady was upset that construction was going on but Jesus lady it’s called progress, moving forward. ( I realize this comment is 30 years late lol

  • @jjs777fzr
    @jjs777fzr 5 років тому +1

    I commute daily from the North to State st. What many don’t realize is every night many lanes are closed for maintenance. What they are doing I don’t know. There are obvious leaks they must repair otherwise it will freeze/thaw during winter seasons and destroy the infrastructure but every night lanes are closed. The Airport/State St exit is often diverted to South Station exit. Its amazing this ongoing repairs just do not end. I am fully aware of pm (preventative maintenance) but this does not stop. And changing light bulbs must literally cost hundreds of thousands if dollars with the lane closures, Trooper support, and dozens of crew changing a light bulb or two. Above ground things look amazing compared to the behemoth that existed prior.

  • @The-Cat
    @The-Cat 5 років тому +3

    2:47 Lady: "OMG, that dust! TAKE A PICTURE OF THAT DUST!"
    Me: (o_O) You're a little too old to be that excited about a bit of dust blowing in the air

    • @tomcaron8297
      @tomcaron8297 5 років тому +1

      She was pointing it out because it's a hazard. OSHA has regulations on dust control.

    • @The-Cat
      @The-Cat 5 років тому +1

      @@tomcaron8297 that regulation is about indoor dust and dust buildup on machinery.
      Not the wind outside blowing sand

    • @tomcaron8297
      @tomcaron8297 5 років тому

      @@The-Cat Not anymore. New regulations went into effect in 2016 on silica dust management. I had to attend a class on it. I know this video was recorded before the new rules were implemented but any kind of dust is a hazard. It's part of the construction trade but the public shouldn't have to be exposed to it.

  • @смиренный-х2б
    @смиренный-х2б 6 років тому +16

    I wonder if that Nancy woman uses the tunnel or not.

    • @alek488
      @alek488 5 років тому +2

      David Alexandrovitch she’s probably dead by now this video was filmed in the 1990’s and 2000’s

    • @stratojack1
      @stratojack1 4 роки тому

      No. But I bet she walks along the greenway!

  • @nuclearbum9858
    @nuclearbum9858 5 років тому +2

    we shut down one side of a 300ft bridge and get harassed for months a cant imagine being on this job ...but i would love it

  • @waltertomashefsky2682
    @waltertomashefsky2682 8 місяців тому

    They obviously had an MIT mathematics professor who did nothing but calculate how much space all the dirt and stuff would occupy.

  • @Throplife
    @Throplife 5 років тому +17

    When you build something that has never been done... it’s near impossible to estimate accurately... get over it

  • @iraabramson3825
    @iraabramson3825 4 роки тому

    We in Boston thank all for their financial contributions.

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому

      LMAO! You are very welcome! It was a pleasure & privilege sending every last dim to the hub of the universe! Hey if you got some change to spare, we would like to fix some of our roads too! would you mind?

  • @h-nice1142
    @h-nice1142 5 років тому +1

    I Miss Charles!!

  • @chrisspeer3257
    @chrisspeer3257 5 років тому +1

    I am not for the big dig or against it but i will say that everybody complains about the noise about the Dust about the congestion that construction creates but they never seem to complain about the finished product and they don't seem to understand all that goes in to doing and completing a job of this nature I will say this it's pretty hard estimate a job of this size to get an accurate cost analysis due to the fact that there are so many variables involved type of soil and environmental cost overruns labor so many things can happen

  • @jumpingjeffflash9946
    @jumpingjeffflash9946 2 роки тому +1

    The Big Dig needed to be done, traffic was choking and killing the city and it wouldn't have become the great city it has become. Now you can travel through it easier, buildings are being built everywhere. Yeah it was a PITA to deal with but it was needed.

    • @maroon9273
      @maroon9273 2 роки тому +2

      Had the central artery stayed. The highway would have collapse.

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому +1

      @@maroon9273 are you sure they wouldnt have just done reconstruction work on it? It sounds silly to assume Big Dig or Bust! The entire reason the Big Dig was an idea was because they knew they had to do something about the Central Artery.

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      @@inconnu4961 The Big Dig was originally planned to include the Southeast Expressway as well as the Central Artery, but it went over budget and took so long that they didn’t get a chance to do the SE Expressway. It was enough of a hassle just to get the Central Artery finished. As a result, there are parts of the Southeast Expressway in Dorchester that still look like the Central Artery before the Big Dig, but it hasn’t collapsed.

  • @joeyalex2845
    @joeyalex2845 Рік тому

    how do you estimate a job like that

  • @chriswright8464
    @chriswright8464 6 років тому +8

    We need 2 new train tunnels under the Hudson here in NJ and NY.

  • @MB-yz8wg
    @MB-yz8wg 3 роки тому

    i lived on stillman st in 1992. they were just starting to reroute traffic for the dig.

  • @studinthemaking
    @studinthemaking 5 років тому +1

    What year did they start it?

    • @alexcoleridge1476
      @alexcoleridge1476 5 років тому

      2287

    • @CTAjunior
      @CTAjunior 5 років тому +1

      1875

    • @tankgreenthumb7979
      @tankgreenthumb7979 5 років тому

      1999

    • @CTAjunior
      @CTAjunior 5 років тому +5

      ok all asarcasm aside, the project officially started in 1982 but didn't actually begin until 1991. Thus the jokes. It took an eternity.

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому

      @@alexcoleridge1476 He didnt ask when it ended, silly! lOL

  • @davidjames666
    @davidjames666 4 роки тому

    @6:11 are they still giving tours of the big dig being built? i bet the tour costs $$$ now

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      The Big Dig was finished in 2007, so no. However, there are city tours that include parts of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, which is the park built in the space where the elevated highway once was. I am a tour guide for one of them, and I tell the guests all about the Big Dig when we get to that point.

  • @gmg9010
    @gmg9010 5 років тому +1

    Anyone get a feeling that this seems older then 2016 ?

    • @emileuu
      @emileuu 5 років тому +5

      It says it in the description, o the video is made from 2000.

    • @gmg9010
      @gmg9010 5 років тому

      emizilla ok

  • @rsar61
    @rsar61 5 років тому +2

    The biggest issue why would anyone halt work on a project like this. For free tours time is money

  • @HangAndBang
    @HangAndBang 3 роки тому

    I remember friends who used to go to work on it and it was so large they literally could disappear and get paid for doing nothing lol

  • @steppinonmytoes2284
    @steppinonmytoes2284 5 років тому +3

    ive never been to boston 😎

    • @Johonnac
      @Johonnac 4 роки тому

      Steppin On My Toes Google Rose Kennedy Greenway; it’s absolutely beautiful now 🌸

  • @LocoMan123
    @LocoMan123 5 років тому +2

    I think at the end it was worth it

    • @tailgunner2
      @tailgunner2 5 років тому +1

      No, because the roads in the rest of the state suffered for it, and still do today.
      During the big dig, towns were lucky to have the money to repaint the lines along state routes. Good luck getting a road paved during that time.
      The then Governor Weld threw Western Mass a lifeline of money right before construction began, warning to rebuild whatever roads we could ASAP because once the Big Dig starts, there will not be any money left and he knew it.
      Today, the sheer cost of maintaining that tunnel saps away money from the rest of the state (Again). And driving to Boston, even at 6 in the morning, is a nightmare. No wonder why tradesmen charge so much, especially service calls, it takes hours just to get anywhere with the van to work.

  • @michaelprice7005
    @michaelprice7005 5 років тому +1

    All my shortcuts are gone.

  • @starcrib
    @starcrib 5 років тому +1

    we probably all got some kind of cancer living for ten years with all of this . horrid .

  • @jeboccuzzi10
    @jeboccuzzi10 5 років тому

    Amazing project. I bet Nancy is embarrassed by her comments now.

  • @aljones3151
    @aljones3151 2 роки тому

    Will it be ready at he time the gas runs out

  • @jetg2059
    @jetg2059 5 років тому +7

    All they did was put all the traffic underground there was no relief in congestion

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      But it did reduce air pollution

  • @ryanweaver962
    @ryanweaver962 6 місяців тому

    Health, climate and tools… Framingham and beyond.

  • @richardbearden7889
    @richardbearden7889 5 років тому

    When did it end

    • @emileuu
      @emileuu 5 років тому +3

      The project was finished in 2007

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      The construction ended in 2007, but the park wasn’t completed until 2008.

  • @johnpacodradria3237
    @johnpacodradria3237 4 роки тому

    This was a big Project

  • @fishmac2036
    @fishmac2036 5 років тому

    So what did happen to all that dirt?

    • @THEBIGLIE20
      @THEBIGLIE20 5 років тому +1

      FISHMAC lots of parks and green space throughout greater Boston

    • @gopats1970
      @gopats1970 5 років тому +1

      They filled in the Quincy quarries with alit or it.

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      @@gopats1970 and dumped the rest onto Spectacle Island and turned it into a park

  • @j8lech
    @j8lech 5 років тому

    The guy in the beginning with the hard hat and the tie looks like a young Louis CK

  • @GeorgeSweet
    @GeorgeSweet 5 років тому +2

    Did you see that dust? Wretched construction workers

  • @moonspots01
    @moonspots01 5 років тому +2

    Back when people actually cared about government cost overruns and financial waste. Now there is so much government debt and free money that no one cares how much anything costs.

  • @stenbak88
    @stenbak88 5 років тому

    Inflated costs, government is horrible at everything

  • @tonyp9179
    @tonyp9179 3 роки тому

    Marty Walsh serving ice cream

  • @jddr.jkindle9708
    @jddr.jkindle9708 3 роки тому

    Will I still be alive upon completion?

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому +1

      If you are in your 20's, yes you will!

    • @jddr.jkindle9708
      @jddr.jkindle9708 2 роки тому

      @@inconnu4961 awe.... I’m past 30, but fit like 20 something... still have a good chance!

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      It was finished in 2008, so yes.

  • @davidmckenzie3398
    @davidmckenzie3398 5 років тому +3

    It would have been cheaper & easier to rebuild Boston on the Moon! Lol

  • @andywolan
    @andywolan 5 років тому +2

    Does anyone know why the state didn’t lease “air rights” on the land above the new big dig? NYC did that when they buried their rail lines underground and it more than paid for that project. Having the “green way” in Boston is nice, but having reoccurring revenue from that free space would of been better.

    • @EoRdE6
      @EoRdE6 5 років тому +1

      They did, they leased out 20+ parcels above the new dig. But they also kept the core section as a linear park because that's what bostonians asked for

  • @loganbaileysfunwithtrains606
    @loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 5 років тому

    Glad it’s finished and people in Boston can enjoy the new areas that have been opened up but was it worth it in tax payer dollars?

  • @andreaskarsson183
    @andreaskarsson183 6 років тому

    Intro song?

    • @ADJLfanatic52
      @ADJLfanatic52 6 років тому +3

      "Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock.

    • @Throplife
      @Throplife 5 років тому

      One of the greatest jams of all time 🐐

  • @arashizou2934
    @arashizou2934 5 років тому

    This hole built an ecosystem around it 😂

  • @ryann8680
    @ryann8680 5 років тому +1

    ah, the Bahstan accent...still legally considered birth control in 49 states. Banacek for senate!

    • @FiftiesDad
      @FiftiesDad 5 років тому +1

      Ryan Neidlinger why does everyone say Bahstan. No one pronounces it that way

    • @ryann8680
      @ryann8680 5 років тому

      @@FiftiesDad that is what it sounds like to me, when they talk to me..which i try to avoid

    • @FiftiesDad
      @FiftiesDad 5 років тому

      Ryan Neidlinger cringe bro

    • @ELRIFL
      @ELRIFL 4 роки тому +1

      Not nearly as effective for birth control as the rebel flag.

    • @ryann8680
      @ryann8680 4 роки тому

      @@ELRIFL maybe where you're from, but not down here. unless you are looking for jungle fever

  • @Zones33
    @Zones33 3 роки тому

    This is how you take back your cities from cars

  • @Celtics_617
    @Celtics_617 5 років тому +2

    Pause at 2:11 and read the sign 😂

    • @raccoonchronicles5134
      @raccoonchronicles5134 5 років тому +1

      Dude...LMAO!!!!!!!!

    • @Glostahdude
      @Glostahdude 5 років тому +1

      I'm fahkin diein here cuz!!!

    • @smvoptr76
      @smvoptr76 5 років тому

      😂😂😂

    • @rebecca8525
      @rebecca8525 Рік тому

      LOL. I remember that the construction workers on the Big Dig made some pretty hilarious signs on the scaffolding and graffiti on the large rocks they uncovered. One of them spray-painted 1620 on a particularly large rock, in imitation of the Plymouth Rock.

  • @DanielAquarian
    @DanielAquarian 5 років тому

    Why the creepy sun logo

    • @gavinhopkins9948
      @gavinhopkins9948 5 років тому +1

      It's a channel logo

    • @Johonnac
      @Johonnac 4 роки тому +1

      Daniel M. It’s the logo of CBS Sunday Morning program 🌞

  • @ryanweaver962
    @ryanweaver962 6 місяців тому

    Inertia and wagging tails and better feedback loops

  • @ryanweaver962
    @ryanweaver962 6 місяців тому

    Go Sox…. Truly…

  • @jackmeyers9291
    @jackmeyers9291 5 років тому +3

    It was easy for Boston to dream big while the rest of the country paid the bill. The Boston unions killed the budget

    • @inconnu4961
      @inconnu4961 2 роки тому

      But ensured that Massachusetts would be a Deep Blue state for generations!

  • @NeilMacEwen-u7i
    @NeilMacEwen-u7i Місяць тому

    The mob thought it was pretty awsome also

  • @TravelWorld1
    @TravelWorld1 8 років тому

    nice. Greetings from Florida

    • @RFJersey
      @RFJersey 5 років тому

      Colombo Man Floriduh