The biggest missed opportunity of the Big Dig (imo) is that a North/South rail link wasn't a part - especially since it would take the exact same route. Great podcast. It makes me nostalgic for the days when we could actually accomplish things.
Thanks to Ian's podcast, I looked up another project that personally impacted me: the 146 Interchange Project which also led to demolition of a neighborhood in Worcester. Fred Salvucci was also involved in that project.
I have to say I knew a lot less about the big dig as a new Englander born in the mid 80's than I thought I did. There are decades and layers i had no idea about. Loving it so far.
Ian is incorrect about I-95 going through Washington DC. It was stopped by community groups and redirected around the Capital Beltway through Virginia and Maryland.
Going hand in hand with the big dig was the relocation of the Orange line from the raised tracks to the Southeast corridor. This had a huge positive impact on Washington St and JP. I would argue the raised Orange Line had as much of a negative effect on the city as the raised Central Artery.
Except all the homes and businesses that were taken in the creation of the SW corridor. Still better than the highway that was originally planned for the corridor.
The right of way was preserved initially the Big Dig included N-S connection but it was cut. There are plans in place to do it Transit Matters has a whole report on it
@@keiththoma2559 To use the slurry wall extension space would mean a 6 degree reverse curve for starters. have seen many plans drawn up over decades. Transit matters is Roxburycentric and threw Lynn under (and on to) the bus.
This is every transportation project. Advocates will show up at the beginning in droves to get something done, then abandon ship when the reality of constructing it begins to create controversy. We either need more commitment for support at construction phase from advocates or decide to not do transformative projects.
Build circumferential FRA spec. electrified heavy railways in the RT.128 and the inner belt corridor, then take the bike paths back for the use they were originally laid out for.
Lesson learned here is that the Big Dig should have never happened. Now us as long time time natives in the Baystate are still fitting the bill to pay back the corrupt $3.81 billion. Traffic has worsened, not improved and there were loads of payouts under the table between the engineers and Mumbles. My dad worked in construction and remembered all the illegal stuff that happened behind the scenes at the Big Dig. He was there...."Hey, here's $5k take your kid to Disney World"
I think it’s more fair to say it’s baked in to the process. Our theory is that bidding projects makes them cheaper, but that adversarial framework means that the inevitable adjustments in construction are change orders that are extremely expensive. We are only now beginning to start other types of project delivery for work that is complex, large and long schedules.
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What do you think the next big infrastructure project should be? www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-10-20/a-new-podcast-revisits-the-big-digs-legacy
The biggest missed opportunity of the Big Dig (imo) is that a North/South rail link wasn't a part - especially since it would take the exact same route.
Great podcast. It makes me nostalgic for the days when we could actually accomplish things.
I really enjoyed the podcast. You brought a very thoughtful and thorough history to a very interesting civil project.
Thanks to Ian's podcast, I looked up another project that personally impacted me: the 146 Interchange Project which also led to demolition of a neighborhood in Worcester. Fred Salvucci was also involved in that project.
I have to say I knew a lot less about the big dig as a new Englander born in the mid 80's than I thought I did. There are decades and layers i had no idea about. Loving it so far.
Love this story - the series is captivating. Great work!
Ian is incorrect about I-95 going through Washington DC. It was stopped by community groups and redirected around the Capital Beltway through Virginia and Maryland.
Going hand in hand with the big dig was the relocation of the Orange line from the raised tracks to the Southeast corridor. This had a huge positive impact on Washington St and JP. I would argue the raised Orange Line had as much of a negative effect on the city as the raised Central Artery.
Except all the homes and businesses that were taken in the creation of the SW corridor.
Still better than the highway that was originally planned for the corridor.
Build North South Station rail connector now
FAT CHANCE! there is a highway in the way. I support the concept, but not under the financial district.
The right of way was preserved initially the Big Dig included N-S connection but it was cut. There are plans in place to do it Transit Matters has a whole report on it
@@keiththoma2559 To use the slurry wall extension space would mean a 6 degree reverse curve for starters. have seen many plans drawn up over decades.
Transit matters is Roxburycentric and threw Lynn under (and on to) the bus.
@@interstellarphred MassDOT also outlined how construction would happen. www.mass.gov/doc/north-south-rail-link-boards-june-21-2018/download
This is every transportation project. Advocates will show up at the beginning in droves to get something done, then abandon ship when the reality of constructing it begins to create controversy. We either need more commitment for support at construction phase from advocates or decide to not do transformative projects.
That was a very well told story. It filled in some blanks in my knowledge about the project.
Build circumferential FRA spec. electrified heavy railways in the RT.128 and the inner belt corridor, then take the bike paths back for the use they were originally laid out for.
Kinda helped that Tip O'neal was Speaker of the house.
I hope the next big infrastructure project in Ma. will hopefully involve the Cape Cod Canal's obsolete dangerous bridges
Add the Tobin Bridge to that list as well as redo the I-93/95 cloverleaf interchange...
The Big Wall- MA should start building the best seawalls on Earth.
He must have been a child when it started. I watched the first building being imploded on an early Sunday morning that kicked off the project.
Lesson learned here is that the Big Dig should have never happened. Now us as long time time natives in the Baystate are still fitting the bill to pay back the corrupt $3.81 billion. Traffic has worsened, not improved and there were loads of payouts under the table between the engineers and Mumbles. My dad worked in construction and remembered all the illegal stuff that happened behind the scenes at the Big Dig. He was there...."Hey, here's $5k take your kid to Disney World"
The outcome was undeniably worth it. corruption is a separate issue
So much cluelessness. The costs were baked into the design.
I think it’s more fair to say it’s baked in to the process. Our theory is that bidding projects makes them cheaper, but that adversarial framework means that the inevitable adjustments in construction are change orders that are extremely expensive. We are only now beginning to start other types of project delivery for work that is complex, large and long schedules.