Tunnel collapse
The week's news at a glance.
Boston
A 40-foot section of the ceiling of Boston’s Ted Williams Tunnel fell on a car passing below this week, crushing to death a 38-year-old female passenger. Her husband, who was driving, managed to escape by crawling out a window. The tunnel is part of Boston’s troubled Big Dig, a $14 billion project that has been plagued by cost overruns and safety problems. A 2005 investigation revealed that leaking water had damaged the tunnel’s ceiling, and in May, a contractor was indicted for using substandard concrete. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Director Matthew Amorello called the collapse “a tragedy of the highest proportions,” but insisted the tunnel was structurally sound. Other officials, though, called for Amorello’s resignation and demanded a criminal investigation.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Maha Kumbh Mela: world's largest religious festival gets under way in India
In The Spotlight Politics of Hindu nationalism has cast a shadow over event touted as biggest ever gathering of humanity
By The Week UK Published
-
North Carolina Supreme Court risks undermining its legitimacy
Under the radar A contentious legal battle over whether to seat one of its own members threatens not only the future of the court's ideological balance, but its role in the public sphere
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published