Late-night drivers should avoid Storrow Drive

By Terri Schwartz, Globe Correspondent

Both lanes of the Storrow Drive Tunnel will be closed nightly from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning Sunday for several months as workers complete a tunnel overhaul project, the Department of Conservation and Recreation said.

“The contractor has told us we can shave several months off this project if we close the tunnel completely every night for construction,” DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. said in a statement.

Engineers from both the DCR and its contractor, SPS New England Inc., estimated that by closing the tunnel at night, the repairs could be completed this spring -- at least three months earlier than planned.

The DCR tested out the idea of shutting down the tunnel earlier in the month by closing it off to motorists one night a week to see whether it would cause any issues. Sullivan said the DCR received only positive feedback about the tunnel closure by e-mail, phone, and during a public meeting Thursday.

Outbound traffic will not be affected by the closures.

By closing the tunnel at night, SPS work crews will be able to work on both sides of the tunnel without endangering motorists or themselves, the DCR said. The project, which will cost about $11.5 million, is expected to extend the life of the tunnel by five years -- until a more extensive repair can be done.

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