Sumnergeddon: Tunnel Closure Will Affect Travel Across Region, Here's How To Prepare

BOSTON, MA — We've known about it for a long time, and now it's final here: the Sumner Tunnel is closing on July 5 for two months, setting the stage for some very frustrating traffic jams in the coming weeks.

The tunnel is a key link between Logan Airport, I-93 and the Mass Pike and downtown Boston. The implications of the closure will likely be felt far outside Boston, whether you ride Logan Express from Framingham or commute downtown from Salem.

The closure, which will last through Aug. 31, is part of a restoration project along the almost 100-year-old southbound tunnel. The northbound Callahan Tunnel will stay open.

At the top line: state transportation officials are asking travelers not to drive to Logan Airport during the closure, and to consider commute alternatives. A detour around the closure will take drivers south via the Mass Pike through the Ted Williams tunnel, which may cause long delays for travelers coming from the North Shore especially.

"We really need the public’s help to get as many vehicles off the road as possible," MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said this week during a news conference.

The state and MBTA are offering a huge number of options — and discounts — to encourage travelers to use transit and other alternative to driving.

Logan Airport

• Blue Line free at Airport station
• Logan Express 25% discount during full closure from every stop (Framingham, Braintree, Woburn, Peabody, Back Bay), kids under 17 ride free, additional customer parking at Braintree Logan Express
• Silver Line will be able to travel along eastbound emergency ramp
• “Skip the Security Line” at Logan for all water transportation users
• Winthrop Ferry will serve Winthrop, Quincy, Logan Airport, Aquarium and Seaport
• Winthrop Ferry service/ Zone 1A/$2.40 one-way trip
• Extra Silver Line 1 buses between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.

RELATED North Shore Commuter Rail Discount Summer Travel Begins Saturday

North Shore

• Entire Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail line reduced to $2.40 fare during closure
• Parking fees reduced to $2 per day at Salem and Swampscott
• Free parking at Gloucester, West Gloucester, Beverly Depot, Hamilton/Wenham, Monserrat, Newburyport, North Beverly, Rowley
• Lynn to Boston Ferry Service: 10 trips per day between Blossom Street and Long Wharf, free parking at Blossom Street pier, $2.40 fare

East Boston

• MBTA Blue Line free during closure
• Discount $2 parking at Beachmont, Suffolk Downs, Orient Heights, Wonderland
• Free parking at Wood Island station
• East Boston ferry to Long Wharf continues through closure
• Free trips for paratransit riders within ¾ of a mile of the Blue Line
• Five bus routes in Chelsea free: 111, 112, 114, 116, 117
• SL3 inbound only free

This summer's closure will be a good test: the Sumner Tunnel is set to close again in 2024 between July and August.