Ten Years Later: Evaluating the Big Dig

Ten years after the completion of the Central Artery and Tunnel project—or the Big Dig, as it's more commonly known—has the project become more justifiable?

2 minute read

December 30, 2015, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Anthony Flint takes a look back at the Big Dig—that infamous, long-delayed, well-over-budget project that created the most expensive highway in U.S. history.

After Flint spends a few paragraphs writing in a style close to prose poetry to describe the development process for the Central Artery and Tunnel project, we arrive to the present day—ten years after the official completion of the project. "How are we feeling now?" Flint asks. "Maybe there’s room for some grudging appreciation."

The feature length article provides background on the political and planning processes that lead up to the project before focusing on the outcomes of the project. On that latter point, Flint reports a mixed bag regarding the congestion relief pitched as a primary benefit of the project: "Looking at the new roadway system by itself, the Central Artery and Tunnel project is solving that problem [of congestion], with capacity to spare." Yet also, "[t]he theory of induced demand…has played out as predicted, particularly at the Ted Williams Tunnel, where traffic typically stacks up every evening trying to get to East Boston, Logan, and points north."

Flint also uses the perspective offered by the passage of town to analyze some of the design and execution of the project. One line sums up the analyses well: "for every triumph, there were gaffes." The article also includes evaluations about the potential transit investments that could have been funded with some of the project's $15 billion price tag as well as some of the project's benefits to the city's landscape, urban design, and development market. Flint concludes by considering whether the project could have been conceived and completed any other way. 

Tuesday, December 29, 2015 in The Boston Globe

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Two children and an adult looking out over railing at Grand Canyon.

DOJ Says Trump Has Power to Roll Back National Monuments

The opinion sheds light on how the administration may justify its effort to eliminate protected public lands.

30 minutes ago - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of Camden Station train station in Baltimore, Maryland. Train station is brick neoclassical building with three-tier tower.

Maryland Awards $1.25M in TOD-Related Grants

The state’s DOT is funding projects that prepare sites around transit stations for future mixed-use development and housing.

1 hour ago - The Baltimore Banner

Aerial view of purple MBTA commuter train at station in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Judge Rules in Favor of Massachusetts TOD Law

The court rejected an argument that the MBTA Communities law, which requires zoning for multifamily housing, is an “unfunded mandate.”

2 hours ago - CommonWealth Beacon