Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project (Big Dig)

[WeirdOne 0]

[removed.]

[blahdy 21]

Yes, it is tragic and beyond unacceptable that a tunnel system with the most extensive engineering and technological achievements involved had failed due to lack of leadership in quality control practice. I've been one of the proponents of the big dig project in the past several years but this issue has far crossed the line, no doubt. When slurry walls become breached (despite tunnels being open to weather during that time), contractors are being indicted for falsified records and then to have ceiling concrete slabs fall on someone, it seems to make me be more careful in continuing with this BAT project since it certainly is presenting a colossal embarrassment for representing Boston's landmarks.

I've been wanting to see Mass. Turnpike Authority (MTA) chairman Matt Amorello terminated from his position for years now. The fact that he continues to replace independent oversight/investigators that find problems with the project management tells the public that he is trying to hide something. There are more questions to the whole sloppy quality control practice throughout the project. MTA refuses release all project engineering documents from day one to end for oversight, and refuses to fire local contractors who have already been indicted on premeditated faulty construction jobs. Clearly, calling the tunnels safe while superstructure is falling apart is nothing short of handwaving stop-gap solution to fix the problem at hand.

Nevertheless, the good news is that both the governor Romney and state attorney general Reilly have called for chairman of the MTA to resign in a bipartisan manner. May be we will finally see him replaced with someone more competent to conduct a thorough inspection of entire tunnel system instead of waving hands, but it is very sad to see this kind of serious political progress being announced only after someone's life is lost.

We'll see how this develops in the next few weeks.. Politics in Boston is like sports, people are known to talk the talk and get nothing serious done... but we'll see how this situation goes.

[hamsterTK 93]

seems like they need to shut down most of the lanes and totally redo it.

[blahdy 21]

Originally posted by: hamsterTK seems like they need to shut down most of the lanes and totally redo it.quote>

First and foremost, they need to fire the incompetent --> Matt Amorello.

Yes, his predecessors share equal if not more blame for all of these quality control issues, but with the issue at hand, Amorello is a distraction and is fueling the fire with his refusal to release documents or let an extensive oversight to proceed into the project's management records over the past decade.

He is a public disgrace and a complete failure.  I think he needs to commit seppuku in honor of $14.6 billion and one civilian casualty and let an independent investigation to proceed.  I'm afraid rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic, such as removing bunch of ceiling concrete panels near from the accident site as a "precaution" does not fix the core problem at hand, and is nothing more than a handwaving distraction.

[tommiej 0]

Blahdy, i follow your thread closely and you keep on suprising me. When it comes out I will download it for sure.

[wgb24 20]

why don't make some tunnels with bits missing for example weak celling sections like in the video and if you want more infomation read the article video link (cut and paste in adress box) javascript:CNN_targetOpener('/2006/US/07/11/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html'); link to article (cut ad paste into adress box) http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/11/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html

[ACEfanatic 7]

Originally posted by: wgb24 why don't make some tunnels with bits missing for example weak celling sections like in the video and if you want more infomation read the article video link (cut and paste in adress box) javascript:CNN_targetOpener('/2006/US/07/11/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html'); link to article (cut ad paste into adress box) http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/11/bigdigdeath.ap/index.htmlquote>

 

IMO, that'd be like someone making a post-9/11 WTC.  Just on a smaller scale.

Let these BATs show how it should've been, not how it is.

Just my two cents.

-ACE

[blahdy 21]

Originally posted by: wgb24 why don't make some tunnels with bits missing for example weak celling sections like in the video and if you want more infomation read the article video link (cut and paste in adress box) javascript:CNN_targetOpener('/2006/US/07/11/bigdigdeath.ap/index.html'); link to article (cut ad paste into adress box) http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/11/bigdigdeath.ap/index.htmlquote>

If your family member dies in a car accident, should I make a BAT of that too and make everyone laugh / celebrate / admire the look?  I don't think so.

[Madhollander 0]

There's some people here with some serious issues, make a version with collapsed parts, are you kidding me ?

Hell, might as well make a collapsed version of the WTC than and post in on the stex as well.

People died in there, end no one, and i mean NO ONE wants to see that in a game, no matter how cool a story you can make up with it for a CJ, it aint cool and if a family member of mine died in there because someone did'nt do their egineering homework and someone makes a recreation of it for a game, i think i'd really dislike that person.

Keep it as it is blahdy, no collapsed versions for gods sake.

[aldara6166 109]

wgb24 - Those are the types of comments that lead to people getting banned...I don't mean to flame, but how thoughtless, inconsiderate and heartless of a suggestion was that...collapsed sections indeed!

blahdy - I too agree, no collapsed sections...we don't need such an excellent and outstanding project mired by such a tragedy...

[Tommy_Vercetti3 3]

Its a shame. Stuff like this shows you that nothing is built the way that stuff was like, I don't know.....35-40 years ago? Even though technology wasnt as good...Things were built better. People just want to get paid and don''t give a crap about others but the money. I know its important but they should make sure it HOLDs before they move on... Because when something fails, whoever is on the time and budget, trying to save time and money, now has to spend more money and more time to go back and fix the problem that could have been prevented..

And to wgb24: Why? Do you like being remembered of things that caused people to die? Im one for destruction...but I hate seeing people getting killed because of it.  =\

[simzebu 20]

I think we can stop with yelling at wgb24 now. He probably wasn't thinking of that when he wrote that. He made a mistake, let's move on.

There is a saying that goes very well for the way things are built these days; "Penny wise, pound foolish." It looks cheeper to do things cheap the first time, but when you have to keep redoing it, it makes no sense. And how much do you want to bet that when they redo this problem, they'll do it the cheapest way possible.

[U3D 6]

Blahdy, is your siggy up to date? Just wondering.

nvm

[bewilder2 2]

One week!  One week and counting!

Next person:

Me:

jk, everyone knows how release dates work...

[kaji 0]

lol ... on a more worrying note if its july 22nd next week, where has my summer gone?!?!

wonder how you're doin blahdy, havent seen any updates and we havent spoke in awhile.. 

~kaji

[aldara6166 109]

Originally posted by: kaji lol ... on a more worrying note if its july 22nd next week, where has my summer gone?!?!

wonder how you're doin blahdy, havent seen any updates and we havent spoke in awhile.. 

~kajiquote>

 

What?  It's July 22nd next week?    You're right...where the heck has the summer gone??

I too can't wait for the release...    Good Luck blahdy...keep em coming... 

[blahdy 21]

Sorry everyone for the delays... I've been out of the town for the past few days.

kaji: I've got your msg btw, again, was away with limited access to Internet so couldn't respond on time. I'll reply to your PM shortly

All: Yea I think we can get it released by the 22nd. Like I said, because of short deadline, we will have a limited release on 22nd, where we will release basic set required to build underground highway, that is: the ground-highway to underground transition and on-ramps and off-ramp lots. That should help get you started, and other stuff you're seeing here that's being worked on will be released on next release or individually.

ardecila: yea, we probably want to talk on IM, but I haven't really seen you logged in... i'll send you a pm if I don't see you.. Thanks!

[Sim shady 12]

im looking forwards to the release, cant wait for it

[shanghai kid 6]

when this first release is out will it contain a little readme on how to use this(if this has been said i'm sorrry that i've missed this).

Ps. It's good idea to release some at first, that way we will get used to these lots and are a little more experienced in using these great lots/bats as the new ones are released.

[statusquo80 4]

Originally posted by: aldara6166 wgb24 - Those are the types of comments that lead to people getting banned...I don't mean to flame, but how thoughtless, inconsiderate and heartless of a suggestion was that...collapsed sections indeed!

blahdy - I too agree, no collapsed sections...we don't need such an excellent and outstanding project mired by such a tragedy...quote>

IMO I don’t think his comment was that bad and nobody should be talking about banning.  You know what I think is insensitive, people recreating the WTC but you don’t see me attacking them.

Anyway on a lighter note this is looking like a great project and I am looking forward to its release.

[Flumes 3]

This project will really really help make my citys much more to my likings, I always try to go underground with highways by bringing up land with the junky terraforming tools. It will be great when I no longer have to do that.

Keep Up the GREAT Work blahdy!!!

[blahdy 21]

Okay I will have updates coming in one by one in the next hour or so.

But here is one little mini update:

1. The traffic surveillance camera is redone from scratch to match closer to that of real one.

2. New textures for lane traffic control:

[blahdy 21]

Revised electronic message board for tunnel entrance.

The background for message board has been updated with digital display patterns, and approach traffic lights have been rebuilt to resemble closer to the real ones (you can see the light covers to provide better visibility).

[blahdy 21]

As we approach our version 1.0 release schedule, it is time to finish the on-ramp and off-ramp business.

You've previously seen the Type-2 Class On-ramps, the first of their kind to ever resemble closely to the real Big Dig on-ramp tunnels.

Those on-ramps will not actually make it into the release, instead, they have been revised again to resemble even more closer to the very real world ones.

Here is the finished on-ramp product that will make its way into the version 1.0 release.  The newly revised on-ramp model is more accurate, and has traffic surveillance camera as well as emergency/fire exit door on the left side tunnel boat wall.  Electronic message board for approach lane control has been updated to resemble closer to the real ones.

[blahdy 21]

Now that on-ramps are complete, it is now time to tackle the off-ramp business.

I am making two off-ramps for version 1.0:

1. Imaginary version that has an overhead sign at the entrance, with lane control signage (LCS).  Useful if you want to extend your off-ramp using surface one-way road.

2. Real Big Dig version that does not have an overhead sign at entrance, but just has "WRONG WAY" signs on them.  Useful if your off-ramp is connecting directly or near from an intersection in downtown area.

Here is the imaginery version's modelling.  Rendering shots coming shortly.

[blahdy 21]

Rendering shots for OFFRAMP1 with overhead block signs:

[vester_DK 477]

I am out of words.... simply stunning.

Great work your are doing here.

Really looking forward to see this in-game.

[blahdy 21]

thanks

Here is the 2nd off-ramp, modelled after the real one in Boston.  This off-ramp is useful in downtown when you are connecting this off-ramp right into an intersection with traffic lights, instead of extending it with one-way road out.

Rendering shots:

And this concludes substantial completion of all Big Dig version 1.0 lots in modelling.  These lots just need to be MODed/LODed properly.

[blahdy 21]

and i know many of you who never drove thru the big dig before might be wondering how the real ones look like.

Here is a pic from MS Windows Live Local.  The pic was apparently taken a couple years ago during construction, and this is a picture of two off-ramps near from Sumner/Callahan Tunnel interchange.

Notice how the tunnel boat structure is remarkably similar to the model shown above in this BAT project

[nycsc4 5,250]

this is amazing, i can't believe how good this looks, this just makes me want to visit Boston even more, i have always wanted to, just never had the chance!

anyway can't wait for the release of this!!!