Traffic once again flows through Big Dig tunnel where woman died

BOSTON (AP) _ A tunnel in the Big Dig highway complex was reopened to traffic on Sunday, six months after a section of its ceiling collapsed and killed a woman in a car. <br/><br/>The eastbound lanes of

Sunday, January 14th 2007, 1:40 pm

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) _ A tunnel in the Big Dig highway complex was reopened to traffic on Sunday, six months after a section of its ceiling collapsed and killed a woman in a car.

The eastbound lanes of the Interstate 90 connector tunnel had been closed since the July 10 collapse that killed Milena Del Valle, 39.

The tunnel was reopened after inspectors approved repairs in which workers installed a bracket-and-hanger system to support the concrete ceiling panels.

With the reopening, just one tunnel that was closed after the collapse remains shut down _ a High Occupancy Vehicle lane, which is still undergoing repairs.

The $14.6 billion Big Dig project buried Interstate 93 in central Boston and opened new connections to Logan International airport. It is the most expensive highway project in U.S. history and had been plagued by cost overruns and leaks before the fatal collapse.