The Big Dig is a billion project in the heart of Boston changing the route of a major highway from elevated highways to a 3.5 mile tunnel. This project also built more tunnels throughout the city and was meant to decrease congestion on inner city streets that are not designed for quick travel. However there have been allegations of negligence in funding and selection of building materials.
Issues? While digging the tunnels excavators came across unexpected geological and archaeological sites like buried buildings and ships. Redirecting traffic while constructing the tunnels caused other traffic issues.
How does this relate to sustainability? By reducing congestion on inner city roads, we (governments) can minimize vehicle emissions and time spent in the car for each individual. By expanding downwards we can decrease the amount of surface area we use to commute. This can decrease surface land cover by asphalt, but it still has potential to disrupt ground water in the area.
This construction product sets a precedent for increasing transportation sustainability. Boston has a great mass transit system. According to Wikipedia, nearly a third of people in Boston use public transit to move about the city. Cities would be more benefited to invest in public transit as well as creating new roadways. Cities are more attractive when they have extensive public transit systems instead of congested roads.
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