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Sumner Tunnel

The Sumner Tunnel is a road tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It carries traffic under Boston Harbor in one direction, from Logan International Airport and Route 1A in East Boston. The tunnel originally deposited traffic at the west side of the North End, but with the completion of the Big Dig, it was modified to have two exits. One exit connects to I-93 northbound and downtown Boston (Government Center) near Haymarket Station. The other exit connects to Storrow Drive and Nashua St., connecting Cambridge via Route 28. Traffic headed for I-93 southbound and the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) westbound is normally routed to the Ted Williams Tunnel.

Overview

Open


Route 1A south

March 30, 1931 – June 30, 1934

June 30, 1934 (June 30, 1934)

Automotive

Between $0.20 and $2.05 depending on payment method and residency[1]

1.079 mi (1.736 km)

2

40 mph (64 km/h)

12.6 ft (3.8 m)

22.2 ft (6.8 m)

Showing the Sumner Tunnel (in red)

Showing the Sumner Tunnel (in red)

An old shield for the Sumner Tunnel, with the Masspike hat. This shield is no longer used.

An old shield for the Sumner Tunnel, with the Masspike hat. This shield is no longer used.

The Sumner Tunnel was opened on June 30, 1934. It carried traffic in both directions until the opening of the parallel Callahan Tunnel in 1961. The Sumner Tunnel is named for William H. Sumner, the son of Governor Increase Sumner.[2]


As of 2016, a toll of $1.50 is charged for non-commercial two-axle vehicles with a Massachusetts E-ZPass, while non-Massachusetts E-ZPass holders are charged $1.75. Vehicles without E-ZPass are charged $2.05 through MassDOT's Pay by Plate MA program. For residents of certain Boston ZIP Codes, a discount is in effect using an E-ZPass transponder, costing $0.20. On November 14, 2008, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority voted in favor of a proposed toll hike which would double the toll to $7.00 for non-commercial vehicles (at the time, the toll was $3.50 in the southbound direction only). E-ZPass users would receive a $1.00 discount and commercial vehicles would end up having to pay $9.00. This vote was later rescinded following a vote approving a 1.25% sales tax increase.


In 2016, cashless tolling systems were installed in both directions, entering the Sumner Tunnel and exiting the Callahan Tunnel as part of a plan to modernize toll collection in the Boston area.[3]


Shutdowns are planned for weekends starting June 2022, with a full shutdown for the summer of 2023 and intermittent closures into 2024, to allow a complete rehabilitation of the tunnel.[4]

Ted Williams Tunnel

Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel

Callahan Tunnel

Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge

Massachusetts Turnpike

Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts)

University Archives and Special Collections, Joseph P. Healey Library, University of Massachusetts Boston

Sumner Tunnel construction photographs, 1929-1933