The Big Dig
42.354966274771, -71.058606395067
The Big Dig, a household name in Boston, is often mentioned with a mix of frustration and relief. The name references the nearly 40-year-long project that replaced Boston’s elevated highway with one underground, extending I-90 to the Logan International Airport and creating Route 1A, connecting downtown Boston to the waterfront. The project aimed to transform Boston’s infrastructure but for most city residents, this project is best known for its numerous flaws and corruption, which caused the estimated $2.4 billion cost to balloon to $14.8 billion, making it the most expensive highway project built in the United States.
GBH’s podcast series titled, “The Big Dig” is dedicated to shaking up the narrative. Through nine episodes, the podcast unpacks and fills in the many gaps of this nationwide controversy. The team sifted through over 40 years of material, interviewed more than one hundred community members, and reviewed countless hours of archival video and audio. The result is not just a story about highways, but a broader picture of American infrastructure and institutions at play, including racial issues, redlining, and corruption.
The Big Dig Podcast goes beyond the preservation of Boston’s history. Through outreach and advocacy, the podcast is shedding light on planning, development, and climate risk management in American infrastructure. GBH’s work is sparking new conversations about the future of urban infrastructure and resilience.
“Utilizing an accessible platform, the Big Dig podcast illuminates the complicated process of community activism and advocacy, the broad impacts of decisions often made by those who are shielded from the consequences, and the lingering skepticism of communities who felt cast aside, which still impacts Boston neighborhoods today,” says Alison Frazee, Executive Director of the Boston Preservation Alliance. “There is a lot to learn not only about the history of this massive undertaking, but of the importance of grass-roots advocacy and resident voices in how Boston evolves.”
Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Owner/Developer
GBH Contributors
Devin Maverick
Ian Coss
Isabel Hibbard
Lacy Roberts
Lisa Wardle
Meiqian He
Stephanie Leydon
