Romney in command

THE LEGISLATURE acted wisely to give Governor Romney control of repairing and reopening the connector to the Ted Williams Tunnel. This was the most important task of the semiautonomous Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, and now that the governor has the responsibility, he ought to take charge of the entire authority.

At a press conference yesterday, Romney laid out the extent of the problem and outlined a series of phased reopenings. People traveling to Logan Airport from downtown Boston will be glad to know that the eastbound Ted Williams Tunnel should be back in operation by early next week and accessible via a ramp in South Boston.

The dates of other reopenings are hazier, dependent on how quickly inspectors can find and fix any defects in the tunnel ceilings. Limited progress is important to reassure the public that state government has the ability to bring the Boston transportation network closer to normal without compromising safety.

The governor signed the bill giving him authority over the connector yesterday morning. For the information he provided at the press conference, he had to rely on advice from the staff of the Turnpike Authority, which has overall charge of the Central Artery system.

Romney said he was curtailing his pre-presidential campaign travels until the tunnel system is fully reopened. It's gratifying to see him spend more time on the job in this crisis, and encouraging that he did not make the turnpike staff the scapegoats for the accident, even though some of them had responsibility for Artery construction at the time the faulty plates were installed.

He'll also be retaining the engineering consultants hired by Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello to examine the ceiling defects. Continuity is fine here as well, but the governor also ought to seek the advice of engineers totally unconnected with the authority to devise a system of inspection and maintenance for the entire tunnel system.

Romney's record on transportation issues is mixed. The Massachusetts Highway Department is no exemplar of efficiency. So the onus is now on the governor to get beyond criticism and deliver solid results.

At the Turnpike Authority, Amorello clings to the chairmanship. The faulty ceiling work predated his arrival on the job, but he now lacks support from a majority of his board members and from legislative leaders, as well as from Romney. His staff with responsibility for the Artery still technically works for him, even though they report to Romney on tunnel safety questions.

Bifurcated leadership makes no sense now, and Amorello should step down. The long-term sniping between Romney and Amorello has been unhealthy.