Search Begins for Cause of Tragedy
By Dave Wedge, Marie Szaniszlo and Michele McPhee
Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - Updated: 08:51 AM EST

Federal and state investigators today are continuing to sift through the rubble of a deadly ceiling collapse in a Big Dig tunnel that has touched off waves of fear among commuters and reverberations all the way to Washington, D.C.

    The disaster cast a bright spotlight on the $14.6 billion tunnel system that both state and federal investigators have repeatedly declared safe, despite highly publicized flaws including leaks and falling debris.

    Past problems had mainly been viewed as a frustrating inconvenience, but that tragically changed at 11:05 p.m. Monday when a 3-ton slab of concrete broke loose and slammed onto a car, instantly killing 38-year-old passenger Milena Del Valle. The Jamaica Plain mom of three was riding east on Interstate 90 through the gleaming new tunnel with her husband, Angel, when the fatal accident occurred.

    Yesterday, the site became a crime scene while politicians began fingerpointing and traffic snarled in all directions. The tunnel is expected to remain closed until all the remaining panels are tagged as evidence.

    Attorney General Tom Reilly launched an expansive criminal probe to see if negligence by any companies connected to the tunnel can be charged with manslaughter. Among the targets are Modern Continental - the company in charge of installing the ceiling panels - and its sub-contractors, and Big Dig management firm Bechtel Parsons/Brinkerhoff, which was responsible for the project’s design.

    “What we are looking at is anyone who had anything to do with what happened (Monday) night,” Reilly said. “No one is going to be spared.”

    Probes are also under way by U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan’s office and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which oversees the Big Dig.

    Pike boss Matthew Amorello said a preliminary investigation revealed that a 40-foot section of ceiling collapsed when a steel “tieback” gave way. The authority has identified 20 areas for inspection and is doing a comprehensive safety review of the entire project.

    Despite calls from Reilly and Gov. Mitt Romney to step down, Amorello maintained he was still the best man to head the authority.

    “My focus is on maintaining the safety of the tunnels,” he said. “My commitment is to make sure this never happens again.”

    Amorello was appointed in February 2002 by then-acting Gov. Jane Swift to rein in an agency in disarray and a project that had spiraled far over budget and behind schedule.

    In 2004, a wall in the Interstate 93 tunnel sprung a massive leak that flooded a northbound lane and caused a 10-mile traffic jam. Subsequent inspections revealed more than 150 faulty walls.

    Inspectors have also found more than 1,700 separate water leaks and drips in sections of the Big Dig tunnels. In May, six employees of Aggregate Industries were indicted on fraud charges for allegedly supplying the project with poor quality concrete.

    All the while, officials have insisted the tunnels are safe.

    Reilly’s office is also negotiating a settlement with Bechtel to recover up to $150 million in taxpayer money allegedly wasted on contractors’ cost overruns.

    Mayor Thomas M. Menino, meanwhile, ordered all construction on the Rose Kennedy Greenway being built on top of the I-93 tunnel to be ceased and put an additional 71 Boston police officers on overtime to direct traffic.

     In Washington, members of Congress - including several who have criticized the project in the past - called for independent probes.

    “This tragedy joins a long list of cost over-runs and mismanagement by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. It’s past time for accountability,” said Sen. John Kerry.

    Modern Continental released a statement saying the company’s tunnel work, “fully complied with the plans and specifications provided by the Central Artery Tunnel Project.” Company officials also noted that the work was “inspected and approved” by federal and state officials on the project.