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[survivor999]

Woman Killed as Slab Falls From Big Dig Tunnel



By PAM BELLUCK

BOSTON, July 11 — Huge slabs of concrete weighing at least 12 tons fell from the ceiling of one of the Big Dig tunnels in Boston late Monday night, crushing a woman to death in a car.

It was the first time in the massive highway project’s long history that someone riding through one of the tunnels had been killed by an apparent construction failure, state police officials said.

But the catastrophe follows a series of leaks and other problems that have resulted in investigations and raised questions about the safety and management of parts of the recently-completed $14.6 billion Big Dig, the central highway system through Boston.

Gov. Mitt Romney, who has long criticized the management of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, a quasi-independent agency which oversees the Big Dig, said Tuesday he would take steps to fire its chairman, Matthew J. Amorello.

“People should not have to drive through the turnpike tunnels with their fingers crossed,’’ Mr. Romney said. He added, “I don’t think anyone can feel safe driving through a tunnel system where just last night someone got killed by a 3-ton piece of concrete falling on their car.’’

Mr. Amorello, for his part, repeatedly asserted today that “these tunnels are safe,’’ and said “any shortcoming, any short cut that was made’’ will be uncovered. "This was a horrible horrible event, and it was an anomaly, and we will get to the bottom of what happened," he said.

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