Boston's Big Dig | Extreme Engineering

Рет қаралды 180,391

Жыл бұрын

In a series of engineering firsts, two interstate highways are being rebuilt beneath Boston, sending its traffic 120 feet underground! The "Big Dig" will take more than 30 years to build, but not without confronting unprecedented challenges. S01E09
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@KDill29 Жыл бұрын

I remember watching this episode in wood shop class, when we had a substitute teacher.

@MiggerPlease 5 ай бұрын

#neverhappened

@butchwilliams 4 ай бұрын

I loved when we had a substitute teacher. I grew up and went to school in a small town, very easygoing. I got several great memories of substitute teachers. 1) Most substitute teachers didn’t give two shits except catching a paycheck. All that was required was that you be 18 and have a diploma or GED and not have any VIOLENT OR SEXUAL FELONIES on your record. We had one substitute teacher that, three years earlier, was in the same gym class we were in. Fast forward three years, he’s 19, with a GED, and a convicted felon for drug charges (remember, no violent or sex crimes). 2. The old substitute teachers (65+ y/o), as long as you didn’t kill them or each other, you could literally do whatever you wanted. Hell, I gotta blowjob in 10th grade history class. 3. We had an old homeless man that was a sub teacher, bring him a chicken biscuit from the gas station up the road and you could leave class any time.

@stevemcpherson9148 4 ай бұрын

😂😅

@jjMcCartan9686 4 ай бұрын

Me too watched it in school.

@MiggerPlease 4 ай бұрын

@@jjMcCartan9686 never happened

@greenleaf9274 3 ай бұрын

I swear there are some smart ass ppl in this world that don’t receive their flowers.

@207522 6 ай бұрын

I remember spending hours sitting in Big Dig construction traffic and hearing people complain about the cost and I think it's a perfect example of how sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Boston traffic is still a nightmare but it's much better than it would be now if it weren't for the cost and time investment in the Big Dig years ago.

@skyerichatds8850 4 ай бұрын

This is an amazing feat. I have always wanted to visit bawston (Boston) bucket list item for sure. I have been looking through some of the awesome artifacts they found all throughout the dick. I downloaded the PDF and apparently they put some of the items in a museum next to the JFK library. It would be really cool to have a friend that lives in Boston to send me pictures and info for the future visit. Maybe this year we will go.

@skyerichatds8850 4 ай бұрын

Big dig* lol spell check

@world_still_spins 4 ай бұрын

@@skyerichatds8850 Yes. Boston had a Big Dig, and turned it into a long tunnel with a perfect mowed lawn around the top. Though Boston is still packed with frequent car jams, and needs to clean the tunnel more often. Why would Big Boston need spell checked.😅.

@hisdness1 7 ай бұрын

I'm from Boston and I watch about every documentary about the Big Dig. This has got to be the best.

@thevultrantransituniverse1487 Жыл бұрын

My favorite Extreme engineering episode!!

@user-kb7ij6ye8u Жыл бұрын

New englander here. In 2022, Billions of dollars later, I'm still in parking lot Boston traffic.

@willisapril 11 ай бұрын

The real sollution at the end of the day is for more people to work from home. Less cars on the road less congestion, cleaner air. With the end of the pandemic these companies should have kept everyone remote instead of all the hybrid work places.

@th5841 6 ай бұрын

@@willisapril The real solution is to live a much more car light life with good alternatives to choose from. In cities like Boston this should be a no brainer.

@truthfacts5438 6 ай бұрын

@@willisapril No, it is simply getting rid of cars altogether. The shift toward car-free cities are a necessity

@scottyb2688 6 ай бұрын

America used to be rail centric like London an the UK if we could get back to that we be better off 80% of people in the UK travel by rail

@vintageradio3404 6 ай бұрын

@@truthfacts5438 Pipedream subshine. I can't think of a major city that has ever done it and other cities are emulating what Boston did. In my home town of Sydney, with a population of 5.3m, a larger version of Boston's big dig is now complete. It is called WestConnex and isn't just one or two tunnels but a network of tunnels and includes the world's largest underground spaghetti junction with three levels. The mainline tunnels are 22km long and five lanes each way at the widest point. As there are still two more road tunnels under construction there are some associated traffic pinchpoints, the more notable being on the Rozelle Interchange, opened just last week - where nine lanes of traffic merge into four - but once the other tunnels are completed, this problem will be solved, as one of the tunnels bypasses this pinchpoint. Sydney is also building a second rail network, just to keep the anti-car brigade happy. So we ultimately have the best of both worlds and people have a choice of how they want to move around. There is no such thing as a car free city and there never will be.

@lesliefortier6595 Ай бұрын

I was a full-time Boston cabdriver from 1974 to 2004. I lived and worked through this immense project. It was of vital necessity and impactful to the future of not only Boston but all of the Northeast.

@geomodelrailroader Жыл бұрын

Big Dig helped for the most part and it also helped their sister city on the other side of the 90 which is in an earthquake zone. By placing the cars underground it removes the congestion from the streets. Yes they went over budget and yes Reagan and Bush tied to veto it twice but it was built. Boston is still trying to manage the traffic but the unsafe elevated highways have been torn down and traffic is moving more smoovely if not at all when rush hour comes.

@willisapril 11 ай бұрын

@gtccold 10 ай бұрын

they went 10x+ over budget :)

@lqzy.mp4 6 ай бұрын

it just moved all that ugly traffic underground

@willisapril 6 ай бұрын

@@lqzy.mp4 It also extended the Turnpike to East Boston as well as the Zakim Bridge

@brucevipond2222 15 күн бұрын

Who is the sister city? How can it be in earthquake zone and Boston not?

@johnpartridge7623 5 ай бұрын

Incredible Engineering on a monumental scale, brilliant documentry thanks for sharing

@salmanskippy 5 ай бұрын

Amazing. That's definitely an engineering marvel. 🇨🇦

@calicoesblue4703 Жыл бұрын

Amazing job guys. Well Done.

@skendermakota7244 4 ай бұрын

Raised in CHICAGO, born in Europe, at college in Boston and years of working full time right by this mess added another non-elective to my studies (which took up to 7 years), which I never could skip was anger self management and patience redefintion.... Though often end up punching the steering wheel on my beater Honda as a result of daily exit closures and parking lot traffic - (which I did, and the horn would not stop blarring, while Big Dig workers all looked over ands laugh as I fiddle with the wheel to make it stop) Half the Boston doing second or third shift was basically always late for work, I worked as a valet parking dude and Big Dig took up most of my uisual parking options so it sucked there for me right away, aside from trraffic. In the end, I went back to Chicago right before they finished, after having spent years of fighting the Big Dig Devil which would oftern send me to Logan then Charlestown, then around MIT, then again back to Baybay, then hope Storrow Drive would open up in right lane for me to squeeze by while being cursed on "Fok Ya fakin caaah" haha as I speed around Common, hop the hill and then fly down to Broad St and Franklin - heart of big Dig.. After the huge controversy overspending the budget (which they knew would happen, Boston is oldskool corrupt and haldf the budget got divided between Irish and Italian companies sticking it to the taxpayer and actually making somewhat of a peace between North and South End underground wars haha)) Upon coming back next year, I realized that those parks and whatever they thought would look so nice, was basically nothing more than an extended crosswalk with ugly trees and that familiar breeze skyscrapers would create in that canyon downtown from North End Atlantic waterfront wide open to Dorchjester even), traffic still a mess but underground, looked cool but very little gained, as they did not really expand the hw, only move underground... all the surrounding connections were not really needed, and very little gained for such a bill.... They shoulkd have invested in modernizing the T adding more lines and stations, trrains, buses etc, cause Boston will NEVER solve this problem, because of its geography - Charles river, Atlantic coast landfill really, and then everything else below, there is no more room for roads, orparking... Chicago on the other hand.. while in the padst boring to my Euro-stalgic city looks, I loved it after, cause 5 times the size, Chitown I get accros in less than 30n mins all strteets perpendicular and crossed by hw's and large avernues, this is how the city should be planned... and never again had to punch my steering wheel, cause Chi trafgfic is moving!

@stretta 28 күн бұрын

1:56 LOL, so much enjoying the future of traffic-jam-less Boston.

@grantorino2325 Жыл бұрын

On the words of Jack Kennedy, "we Americans do these things not because they are easy, but because they are *hard* !" 🚀🌙🇺🇸

@richiegillham42069 Жыл бұрын

Little Rock, Arkansas has a plan to "cap" several blocks of Interstate and create greenspace above

@johnsobolewskijr.-tp8sr 4 ай бұрын

They need to do this underneath the Cross Bronx Expressway in NY from co-op city under the Hudson and into New Jersey the Cross Bronx is a disaster

@TheHaydena76 3 ай бұрын

Im glad the big dig occurred as a non-local. I have to say though, driving in Boston is still a nightmare coming from a small town.

@Kent_617 9 ай бұрын

It did not help the traffic. But sure did make the city more useable & prettier

@davidb3271 4 ай бұрын

It did help the traffic, but the city population has grown substantially so it doesn't feel like it. Without the big dig it would be much worse.

@JesusIsReal925 2 күн бұрын

Still really bad traffic but the surface looks better

@michaelsmiley15 5 ай бұрын

Those tunnel sections use the same construction method as the bay area rapid transit Trans bay tube

@starcrib 5 ай бұрын

🇺🇲🌿🇺🇲🌿🇺🇲 Comprehensive, accurate, and effective in explaining the gargantuan features that were created, tackled, and executed with mind-boggling cutting-edge engineering. Boston is Fantastical. 🌿🇺🇲🌿🇺🇲🌿

@TheADzioba 6 ай бұрын

Boston's got a big dig!

@kevinhoward9593 4 ай бұрын

How was it supposed to end the traffic if all they did was put the traffic underground? If anything its worse now than it was before.

@user-yt9id8zq3g Ай бұрын

The old bridges would be 70 plus years old now and rusted.

@Lauren-ug7ke 7 ай бұрын

It did help make a great city beautiful but if the T could get its act together it would eliminate a lot of the cars. Commuters just don't trust it, who would? Plus offices have to let people work from home all the time! Even with hybrid the traffic is worse than ever.

@michaelfraser5723 5 ай бұрын

TOO MANY PEOPLE

@richharris9489 5 ай бұрын

Exactly 💯

@charlesoneill7993 4 ай бұрын

End the traffic congestion huh? Well guess what if you don't get on 93 North by 3:30pm your not moving because by 4:00pm from the Medford square Malden exit to the NH boarder it's still a parking lot!!!

@1FatHappyBirthday 4 ай бұрын

What people don’t understand is the pain we just put the generations to come in. All infrastructure deteriorates with time. To fix the crumbling road under ground will be a nightmare. Water will eventually break through. An earthquake will end it completely.

@felixpena6129 Ай бұрын

Theres something called maintenance constantly being done to prevent that

@brucevipond2222 15 күн бұрын

@@felixpena6129You’re theoretically correct. There will come a time when the government will be in dire straits and the temptation will be great to divert a few dollars towards another worthy project. One year of minimal maintenance will doom the Big Dig to failure. The government will squeeze another then another year of minimal maintenance. Pretty soon it’s dilapidated and leaking. Carry that forward to its logical conclusion. Now they’ll tear out the parks to build a “beautiful” above ground interstate to serve the people. Claiming the Big Dig was a mistake to begin with.

@RennellReed 6 ай бұрын

Could something like this be done in NYC and the traffic problems there?

@wadelevan1787 3 ай бұрын

8:53 massive steel as long as a football field…..and it weighed 15,000lbs 😂😂

@lilyaca_2730 6 ай бұрын

I'm From Lawrence Massachusetts God bless all of us amen 🇩🇴🇩🇴🇺🇸🇺🇸🇩🇴🇺🇸🇩🇴🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🤝❤️ 0:54 💚💚💚❤️ 0:40

@tunatuna6723 Жыл бұрын

8:52 "The massive steel hulk was as long as a football field, and weighed 15,000 pounds." I'm sure it did! Was that all?

@tysonpotter3205 Жыл бұрын

Haha, I reworded to be sure I heard that. Yeah, I think you’re off there guys! 😂

@Tuppoo94 7 ай бұрын

They forgot to put a few more zeros at the end.

@frankpitochelli6786 5 ай бұрын

15,000 tons was more like it..!! No way something that big was only the weight of 7 cars.

@jeffpro8 8 күн бұрын

When was this aired?

@claytammaro7060 5 ай бұрын

I work on the big dig, LU 56 pile drivers.

@user-yt9id8zq3g Ай бұрын

Why do businesses and people locate down town in big cities like this? Seems expensive and stressful.

@darylb5564 24 күн бұрын

I just clicked on this video for the comments

@tiamatxvxianash9202 5 ай бұрын

I've said it before and can only repeat it again here after viewing this Epic story of the "Big Dig". Man's engineering mind is truly out of this world. Those that cast doubt upon our ability to endure and reach for the stars, vastly underestimate our ever expanding knowledge and future potential. Opinions differ as to whether any extraterrestrial life is out there in the cosmos. Someday into the future, largely due to the latest brilliant engineering minds of our nation's, contact will be made. When it is, whoever or whatever they are, should be offered perhaps some tickets to the Red Sox as appropriate gifts of exchange. When they do come to town, take them on an above and below ground tour of Boston. They will then have no doubt that we are a world that will be able to give them a good run for their money, no matter the level of higher intelligence they appear to possess, especially during the seventh inning stretch when we've shared some mythos of the famed "Green Monster".

@kenjr 5 ай бұрын

This was one of the most corrupt projects ever!

@blackunitsound 5 ай бұрын

Okay building it on the Sea

@th5841 7 ай бұрын

Replace the cars with public transit! Remove the urban highways! Save billions of dollars! Improve the air and people’s health!

@theresehopkins1581 5 ай бұрын

I am so proud that Boston, Massachusetts had more clout to get this built, than Reagan and Bush combined had to veto it!!! ❤😂🎉❤😂🎉❤😂🎉❤😂🎉 Bravo!!!

@frankpitochelli6786 5 ай бұрын

I think the math of that tunnel piece which was Said to be 15,000 pounds, was supposed to be 15,000 tons..!

@jakerussell135 5 ай бұрын

yeah, thats what i would have thought as well. 15000 lbs would break pretty quickly I'm sure

@davidb3271 4 ай бұрын

Lol definitely not 15,000 lbs

@gradyrm237 4 ай бұрын

What are the floating arrows.? I'm out

@patrickdehertogh2080 Жыл бұрын

i like watching these videos, but being from here and knowing what i have learned regarding this mess its not so magical as you make it sound, it was a big project infested with theft corruption and a death from falling platform in logan tunnel and the cost was 14.6 billion. and whats that fork in 93 that goes to a drop for? was that a mistake? so ,may be all these marvels are not as smooth as you make it appear

@NFS305 5 ай бұрын

It was going to be used for another roadway but they didn’t end up using it

@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel 5 ай бұрын

@@NFS305 if mem serves me right, it was for a direct connection to Rt 2, because it sucks getting from downtown to Alewife where you at least have highway vs traffic lights every 15'

@NFS305 5 ай бұрын

And it didn’t fix the traffic issue

@bengomes1255 6 ай бұрын

15 billion to fix something in our country compared to sending 100s of billion over seas is a no brainer for me. Let's not lose all common sense completely PLEASE!

@TheKruner1 6 ай бұрын

so now to make it worse... youtube logos are floating across the screen while the video is playing....how fucked up is that

@nowistime8070 5 ай бұрын

its because the person who posted the video doesn't own it so its a tactic to avoid copy rights or something like that

@gscarpa6 Жыл бұрын

Money well spend

@CommomsenseSmith 4 ай бұрын

Unfortunately it didn’t do what was advertised. It just moved the cars so they could sell more real estate.

@mjookie 4 ай бұрын

Considering the money that the uk government blows on utterly pointless crap which at best ends up being a complete fudge which pleases or benefits no-one I’d say Boston got one hellava deal - if only we had people with such drive and determination - to say nothing of common sense..

@learnerm3120 5 ай бұрын

This is a big dig in America. In China this would be considered a child's sand castle dig.

@Pyt3x 5 ай бұрын

implessive

@skipd9164 Ай бұрын

Even before starting video I read comments and cannot believe how stupid people are. I got my license in the 70s and today no matter where I go traffic is massive. As a kid playing touch football or street hockey we would get PO to move or stop playing a couple of times for cars. Today those streets have cars constantly and more parked on street. So if the green monster was always gridlocked then today it would of been a parking lot so when people comment about traffic then they have no idea. I drove the raised 3 lane highway and today doesn't even come close to what the old highway did. This was the first major highway to be buried. It was installed in one of the oldest city's in America. It was also done keeping the highway operating while building the highway underground. Look at all the first time used construction methods while not stopping subway, railroad, vehicle traffic, shipping traffic, and airport operations. It also had some major incidents happen and then repairs. Some construction methods were changed and needed to be designed on the go. The subway and railroad needed no possible ground sinkage. A completely new method was designed and worked by basically turning 200 feet deep by football lengths of ground were frozen. Yes there were typical political associated kickbacks and that was nowhere near what people say but it was there and will always happen because politicians are crooks. The amount of police details were everywhere on the project because cement deliverys came from outside the city and on arrival met tuff standards to be excepted and many were refused but still cost. I still go from the North shore and have never had traffic issues anything like on the old highway unless an accident. The airport tunnel was a game changer. For people that say it took to long or cost to much. I prefer looking at the green spaces and don't miss an ugly highway and raised subway that no longer infront of the old garden

@harveyvangell8980 8 ай бұрын

What's the point of shrinking the screen and having red play symbols scroll across???

@Pyt3x 8 ай бұрын

i dont know what to tell you buddy. figure it out

@andyevans2336 6 ай бұрын

How about a subtle KZfaq add, kind of like adds during football games. Gets around add blockers.

@user-nw7ow1ei1q Ай бұрын

Senator Ted Kennedy made out big time on this deal.

@pas42hfd 5 ай бұрын

What a joke...All’s the Big Dig did was put the traffic underground. It did nothing to elevate the problem. They don’t even bother cleaning the tunnels. They loos like old dungeons.

@michaelfraser5723 5 ай бұрын

POOR TRAFFIC, IT LIKES TO GET ITS OWN WAY AND DESTROY AIR QUALITY

@michaelfraser5723 5 ай бұрын

AS DO PEOPLE AND THEIR JETS

@user-nw6rx9hn9r Жыл бұрын

Too bad it didn't solve the traffic problem. Plans were obsolete before the project was started. Also, due to budget overruns and fraud MA was impacted by a freeze on future federal allocations for proposed projects.

@willisapril 11 ай бұрын

The real sollution at the end of the day is for more people to work from home. Less cars on the road less congestion, cleaner air. Will the end of the pandemic these companies should have kept everyone remote instead of all the hybrid work places.

@presumedeagle10 8 ай бұрын

if they actualy built the North south rail connection and expanded public transit to the suburbs it would also help traffic less people going to the city by car = less cars casuing traffic, also i would say the freed up space where the ugly ass highwat was is also a benifit@@willisapril

@DouglasWillinger 4 ай бұрын

Why no shoulders? Especially for the non downhill portions.