Video shows concrete falling from Boston's Prudential Tunnel, damaging several vehicles

BOSTON -- Concrete debris fell from the Prudential Tunnel in Boston Friday afternoon, damaging several vehicles, WBZ reported. The incident was captured by a MassDOT camera.

State Police said the debris fell into the left and middle travel lanes in the tunnel on the westbound side of the Mass Pike shortly after 1 p.m. All the lanes on the westbound side of the Mass Pike have since reopened.

State Police said no one was hurt but several vehicles were damaged by the debris. MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said the damage to vehicles was minor and was from the vehicles driving over the pieces that fell.

"It definitely makes us nervous as drivers, you know? Because you shouldn't have to fear for your safety, every day we fear for our safety but coming through a tunnel shouldn't be a concern of something falling on our car," said one Boston driver.

MassDOT said a section of "non-structural concrete at an expansion joint" under Huntington Avenue fell into a travel lane Friday afternoon. They said the freeze/thaw cycles caused the concrete to become saturated and freeze. It then came loose when temperatures rose on Friday.

"It was a freeze/thaw cycle that caused this, it's something that typically does happen on bridges during this time of year," said Gulliver.

MassDOT said they now have crews conducting emergency inspections in the tunnel and removing any other loose material. Gulliver said other tunnels in Boston will also be inspected as a precaution.

"We're going to take whatever action is needed throughout the weekend to make sure that those systems are safe," said Gulliver.

Gulliver said he wanted to stress to drivers that the tunnel is safe.

"I want to assure people - I drive through the tunnel, I drove through it to get here today, I'm going to drive through it to get back," Gulliver said. "Our infrastructure is safe. Do things happen? Sure, they happen just like potholes happen. It's actually the exact same weather action that causes potholes that causes things like this."

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