WATCH: Massive chunk of concrete falls into traffic in Boston tunnel
Officials say that the event was caused by a freeze-thaw cycle, which is common during the winter months when cold temperatures are followed by warmer weather. The concrete joint likely had been weakened by the infiltration of water, which was exacerbated by recent winter storms.
Video catches moments concrete falls from ceiling in Boston-area tunnel
Concrete from a joint in Boston’s Prudential Tunnel collapsed on Friday, causing damage to vehicles.
BOSTON – Traffic through one of Massachusetts’ many tunnels was halted on Friday after a large chunk of concrete fell without warning, damaging several vehicles.
Video from a traffic camera inside the Prudential Tunnel along Interstate 90 captured the moment when the concrete plummeted from the ceiling onto a vehicle, prompting drivers to slam on their brakes in an attempt to avoid the falling debris.
Massachusetts State Police temporarily closed the travel lanes while transportation officials removed the debris and inspected the tunnel’s structural integrity.
Officials attributed the collapse of the concrete to the freeze-thaw cycle, a common occurrence during the winter months when cold temperatures are followed by warmer weather.
"We’ve obviously been in this stretch of weather over the last few weeks where it has been very, very cold. We just came out of a storm over the weekend with serious rain and ice. We believe ice infiltrated this particular joint, and with the thaw that we had today, it caused the concrete in the joint to loosen and fall to the ground," Jonathan Gulliver, the highway administrator at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said during a news conference.
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Concrete from a joint in Boston’s Prudential Tunnel collapsed on Friday, causing damage to vehicles.
(MASS DOT / FOX Weather)
Following an emergency inspection, the tunnel was reopened, with transportation officials stating that issues with bridges and tunnels are common during seasonal changes, and that the commonwealth’s inspection program is designed to detect potential problems.
The incident was the first time in nearly a decade that officials recalled such a large chunk of concrete giving way without warning.
"Crews will be actively inspecting other areas throughout the state, especially within the tunnel systems. Out of an abundance of caution, I’ve ordered our team to go through all of our tunnels, looking for similar joints to see if there’s any other freeze-thaw action that we may have missed," Gulliver stated.
A nearby weather observation site in Boston reported temperatures reaching the mid-30s on Friday, the warmest day of the workweek, following snow and ice over the previous weekend and low temperatures in the teens.
Precipitation Types Explainer
(FOX Weather)
No one was injured during the event, and transportation officials encouraged anyone who sees a potential issue to call the MassDOT Highway Division.
"It’s a very, very rare occurrence that you have a failure in the joint for anything overhead – something that we keep a very close eye on. This was under active inspection to try to avoid this exact kind of thing from happening…But again, I want to assure the public that this is not something that occurs frequently," Gulliver said.
Icicles were recently spotted in a nearby tunnel, but the administrator said crews with its freeze-thaw inspections constantly monitor the region’s many roadways and address issues when they arise.
Crews throughout the area continue to maintain roads and sidewalks throughout the city of Boston
Boston received just over an inch of snow Saturday. The city has had just over four inches of snow so far this month.