Ted Williams Tunnel
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Status | Open |
| Route |
 I‑90
|
| Start | South Boston |
| End | Logan International Airport in East Boston |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | 1991-1995 |
| Opened | 1995 commercial traffic, 2003 general traffic |
| Owner | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Operator | Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Toll | Between $0.20 and $2.05 both directions depending on payment method and residency |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.6 mi (2.6 km) |
| No. of lanes | 3 at ends, 2 under harbor |
| Operating speed | 45 mph (72 km/h) |
| Lowest elevation | −100 feet (−30 m) |
The Ted Williams Tunnel, also known as the Williams Tunnel, is the name of the third highway tunnel under Boston Harbor in Boston, Massachusetts, the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels being the other two. It connects South Boston with Logan International Airport, carrying the final leg of the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) under Boston Harbor allowing direct access to Route 1A in East Boston. The tunnel is named after the former Boston Red Sox baseball player and U.S. Marine air corps veteran Ted Williams.
The Ted Williams Tunnel (TWT) was the first major link constructed as part of Boston's Big Dig. It is constructed from twelve "binocular" shaped steel sections fabricated in a Baltimore shipyard. These sections were then brought to the Black Falcon Pier near the site and each was fitted with a large surrounding mass of concrete (so that the tunnel section was more neutrally buoyant). Using additional flotation, the tunnel sections were then floated into place, lowered into a dredged channel, and joined to the other sections. At this point, the steel panels sealing the now-joined sections could be cut out and the finishing operations could be completed.
When the TWT opened in 1995 it was only available to authorized commercial traffic. Later, non-commercial traffic was allowed to access the tunnel on weekends and holidays. In 2003, with the substantial completion of the I-90 portion of the Big Dig, the tunnel was opened to all traffic at all times.
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