Sumner Tunnel, SW Entrance - Boston, MA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member NorStar
N 42° 21.763 W 071° 03.293
19T E 330785 N 4692094
This entrance to the Sumner Tunnel, a highway connection under Boston Harbor, is at the Boston North End, and is visible from the MassDOT building by the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Waymark Code: WMPB91
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/02/2015
Views: 7

In Boston's North End is the southwest end of the Sumner Tunnel, which is the oldest of the three highway tunnels under Boston Harbor.

The entrance is best visible from the MassDOT Sumner Tunnel Administration building, which is accessible from Cross Street running along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Sumner Tunnel is to the left of the building - when you are there - be sure to wave at the security cameras there.

The entrance is rectangular and two highway lanes wide (13.4 x 22.2 ft). It is surrounded by grey granite. Above the entrance is lettering, which, in part has the following:

[City of Boston Seal]
Sumner Tunnel
City of Boston
Work Started March 30, 1931
James M. Curley Mayor
Tunnel Opened June 1934
Fredrick W. Mansfield Mayor
Built by the Boston Transit Commission
...[Other Names]

The tunnel is about a mile long. The other end is in East Boston, near Boston's Logan Airport.

All this time, I thought that the Sumner Tunnel was named after Charles Sumner, the Civil War era abolutionist. However, I found that the tunnel was named after William H. Sumner, son of former Governor of Massachusetts, Increase Sumner. It is the oldest of three highway tunnels - the other two being the Callahan built next to the Sumner in 1961, and the Ted Williams Tunnel, which was part of the 'Big Dig' in the 1990s.

Sources:

Wikipedia (Sumner Tunnel)
(Note: there is a link to the Callahan Tunnel Article):
(visit link)

Boston Business Journal (State seeks developer for historic building):
(visit link)
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