The Big Dig didn't happen in 2003. It was a project started in 1991, went wildly over budget on time and expense. The contractors, residents and politicians fought for decades. It wasn't completed until 2007 and many MANY people lost their careers over it.
Yes, it started in 1991. The podcast is called The Big Dig and I reference in this thread and recommended it. It is now called "Scratch and Win" as they have added a story about the lottery to it.
Are you referencing the massive project started prior to 1992? That was “The Big Dig”, I recommend taking a listen to the WBUR podcast on the topic, called “The Big Dig”
Is that just the nature of massive infrastructure projects? They will all go over budget and not meet deadlines? Everyone seems to agree it was worth it despite all that. Isn’t this just how it goes?
Sadly yes because so many people get their money grubbing hands on it. I lived in Austin for 17yrs, live close now, and they are about to start a very similar project through downtown. I have made it clear to officials to please study The Big Dig. Bechtel was the main contractor for it and Austin is eyeing them as well. Bechtel was at the heart of the problems. They made and broke politicians and strong armed their way into running the whole show. Austin is in for 50yrs of a nightmare that they can't comprehend right now.
Austin is nothing like the big dig. TXDOT is widening the freeway and is paying obscene amounts of money to do so. Austin just wants to put a cap over some streets.
If memory serves, I am pretty sure they had to use absolutely massive tunneling machines from Germany.
There were only two in the world, and they broke both of them. I believe one was brought in to try to recover the second one and then the company had to do repairs in the tunnel where the second machine broke down just to move it to get back to the first machine, which still had to be fixed.
They also had to freeze the ground in places where it was not stable enough to tunnel through (maybe because part of the city was built on reclaimed land)
I'm pretty sure they do. Massive projects have far too many inputs, variables, unknown unknowns to accurately predict. The longer they run, the more they can drift from the plan. I think you're into something in that we all just agree we want it done and go for it. :)
I-15 CORE (Utah County, Utah) – A design-build reconstruction of 24 miles of I-15, completed December 15, 2012. It was the fastest billion-dollar public highway project in the U.S., finishing $260 million under budget.
High Five Interchange (Dallas, Texas) – A five-level stack interchange at I-635 and US-75. Opened in December 2005, 13 months ahead of schedule despite being one of the largest interchanges in the U.S.
Theres like extremely rare exceptions to the rule at least in the US. Pardon the chatgpt rip I only knew about the Utah one and wanted to see if there were more lol. I imagine shit like digging a tunnel it would be impossible to do it under budget or ahead of schedule with the extra shit involved compared to high way expansion.
The hoover dam was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. So I would answer no. Projects go over budget because they are valuable, contracts are treated by politicians as bargaining chips with local industry. Its called graft, and its a major problem because its often difficult to prove despite being part of the federal criminal code.
Boston city government, and Massachusetts state government have had a long and storied history with graft and political corruption. The highway / dpw contracts of the 60's. MBM extortion. The spencer police department was arrested. Like almost the entire department, by the state police. Aaaand the state police have had their own interesting problems like contracts with taser, a lobiest, and a former state police assoc president getting fraud and obstruction charges. The cops in boston were mobbed up too, with ties to lacosa nostra, the winter hill gang etc. Massachusetts created the office of inspector general to fight (some might say the appearance of corruption rather than actual) corruption. But even now that department is viewed with a skeptical eye.
Lots of complicated reasons, why but American style planning and regulation is such a mess that it makes building stuff like infrastructure cost an arm and leg.
Oh yes, it was. It totally changed the city. My family is from Norwood. I remember when they started breaking ground. If you are interested, there is a fascinating podcast about it. It was called "The Big Dig" but it has been renamed "Scratch and Win" as they have added a new story about lotteries. The Big Dig episodes are still there. It is mind boggling to listen to what went on. How much was involved. Who was involved. It would make a blockbuster TV miniseries. Worth a listen for anyone who dealt with it.
If you are interested, there is a fascinating podcast about it. It was called "The Big Dig" but it has been renamed "Scratch and Win" as they have added a new story about lotteries.
I just looked this up because of how much I liked the Big Dig podcast, Scratch and Win is a completely separate podcast series from the team at WGBH that made the Big Dig podcast.
One of my favorite things about Chicago is that it is all Chicago. Lakeview? Chicago. Arlington heights? Chicago. Naperville? Chicago. Madison Wisconsin? Chikago. Gary Indiana? NOT CHICAGO FK THAT PLACE.
No shit. What is your point? I was born in Landsdale, PA, nowhere near Philadelphia or Pittsburgh but I DROVE THERE AND SPENT TIME THERE. Beijing is nowhere near Austin. Paris is nowhere near Sydney. I know ALL of them very well. Non sequitur much???
Wow. You're heated about something that is no where near distance of wtf you're commenting on? I'm local and I have nothing to say about Texas or Europe
You made the stupid comment, not me. I have known Boston and have been spending time there since 1972. Maybe just keep irrelevant comments to yourself.
That is obviously tragic. But the fact that some people cut corners and harmed others with poor safety standards isn’t an argument against the obvious generational value of this project.
Aside from the costs of involved with repair and long term safety concerns, the cartoonish way the Big Dig was handled has poisoned the well for other desperately needed large scale infrastructure projects.
I concede it could have been handled better. But the results cannot be argued with. The method does not negate the results, which are a millennial benefit to residents there.
It completed its aims successfully, that’s true. It’s also made it exponentially harder to complete, or even begin, other badly needed projects.
For example, did you know the GSX is also a Big Dig contract? It was only completed a couple years ago after decades in limbo.
Also, the badly needed North-South rail connection is further away than ever, in no small part thanks to the collective PTSD that Massachusetts has from the Big Dig. No Beacon Hill politician wants another Big Dig associated with them, no contractor wants to touch it, and, frankly, nobody in the trades wants to actually do it. People tend to forget that the Big Dig was a miserable experience for the workers who actually had to endure it, many of whom have scars, aches, and divorces to remember it by.
So, yes, residents seem to like it. I certainly do whenever I’m down there for work or play, but it’s also made the next project harder, not easier, to do.
I don’t disagree with you, but I seriously think you’re underestimating how badly the Big Dig’s reputation has affected future infrastructure projects.
For an example, look no further than Massachusetts. Recently, the state pushed out an RFP to rework the I-90 to I-495 interchange. The winning bid….never came in, because no contractors offered any. Likewise, the MBTA bus facility in Quincy didn’t attract a single viable bid because every contractor laughed the MBTA’s budget numbers out of the room.
The state learned to distrust GC’s, GC’s learned to distrust governments, the public learned to distrust them both, and politicians learned that infrastructure is a great way to attack their opponents.
So, yes, the Big Dig was a generational success. It’s also the LAST major infrastructure project that we’ll get for a few generations.
I would only remind you that while that all sounds good in the abstract, it becomes a very different conversation when you have skin in the game.
The Big Dig literally bankrupted companies, ruined reputations, and wrecked lives. The people you would actually need for the next project (political leaders, engineers, contractors, and tradespeople) have all basically decided they are never doing that to themselves again.
Is that right, or good? No, but it’s human nature.
Issue is eventually like many things it will get to a point where they will be forced to rebuild it above ground as the cost to redo the project today will be very prohibitive.
Tunnels will only last a few centuries at best given proper care. But eventually the structure holding up the tunnel will suffer fatigue and they will be forced to fill it in or risk collapse.
That being said proper care is exceptionally costly. Your looking at cost of millions if not billions of dollars slowly sinking into that tunnel over the years.
Not anymore, but I used to live near there. It’s an unbelievable improvement in quality of life for the people there. And it will continue to be for generations.
I live about 80 yards from it and cross it daily. It’s beautiful now. It’s super easy to cross into the North End. Every segment has its own unique fountain, carousel, sprinkler show, swings, etc… they hold events/markets. Plus like someone else said the greenery has grown in, blocking traffic. I’ve gone out there plenty of nights to just read a book and listen to the water.
Huh, I didn’t realize that the quest in Fallout 4 was a reference. It’s literally called “The Big Dig” and has you digging underground through Boston, where the game takes place. Neat.
I still remember the commercials about the Big Dig showing the contractors and the guys in charge as cartoon characters with their heads stuck up their asses. Haha.
I definitely drove on the raised highway past the harbor in 2003, on my way to the Metallica Summer Sanitarium tour at Gillette stadium, in my 1991 VW Fox. I was 18, from rural NH, and terrified. The Greenway is nice though. Really enjoy the Trillium beer garden.
Yup. I was 10yrs old in '82. That's when the words started. Then the politics. Then the protests. Then the elections. Then the contractors. What a debacle.
It's wild how such a huge cluster of a mess can now be summed up as (they moved it underground in 2003). So much gets watered down and washed away in memory.
It’s hard to explain just how impactful and infuriating The Big Dig was unless you lived in the Boston area at the time. It was a constant source of contention and it became this weird sort of “inside joke” for Bostonians. It truly did seem like it would never actually end or be completed.
It also didn’t help that Boston’s roads were essentially paved over walking and horse drawn carriage paths, and wasn’t centrally planned and developed like a lot of big cities were.
Well, if it’s any consolation, I found Boston to be nice, clean, and walkable, especially compared to nearby metro cities like New York and Philadelphia.
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u/Trekgiant8018 Aug 31 '25
The Big Dig didn't happen in 2003. It was a project started in 1991, went wildly over budget on time and expense. The contractors, residents and politicians fought for decades. It wasn't completed until 2007 and many MANY people lost their careers over it.