After more than a decade and more than US$15 billion spent provided the Boston night skyline view from North Station. Before this, there were monstrous decaying green steel , of multiple overpasses and underpasses in the North Station area to connect the busy corridor from Northeastern Massaschusetts and the rest of Northern New England to the rest of the United States.
It was a busy corridor passing through the very heart of the city -- that created traffic for even the simplest reasons -- all over Boston. This green steel of montrosity, though actually very short, about a mile or so, I think and a few hundred acres effectively isolated the North End (the Italian enclave in Boston) and Charlestown from the rest of the Boston area.
For this reason, someone thought of placing the entire thing underground (well partially) to deal with the traffic that was paralyzing not only Boston but the Northern New England corridor. Initially, it was considered a billion dollar, or so project but like any US federally sponsored "public works" project, the cost estimate grew -- even before it was even approved -- $2B then $4, etc., etc., etc. Thus, living to its name as the "Big Dig".
When it was finally officially inaugurated early last year (or was it the year before???), the total cost estimate was more than US$15 billion with more to be done. This cost estimate did not even include the money to create a "parkway", called the Rose Kennedy Greenway to create a park from the newly vacant aboveground surface.
Whether the big construction firms will ever be held accountable to the repairs is another story, altogether.
In spite of all the above however, the Big Dig, once fully finished will indeed finally the North End and the Charlestown area to the rest of Boston. What were once dilapidated warehouse buildings in the North Station have now mostly been renovated (although more need refurbishing) to become hotels, restaurants, new economy office spaces and residential buildings.
The Rose Kennedy Greenway will further add to the greening of the city of Boston, on top of the Emerald Necklace that made the city of Boston quite a beautiful place to live in. Along the new Rose Kennedy Greenway include new oases that allow both residents and visitors to rest. There are places, like the "dancing fountain" -- where children or those who still feel young at heart to just let go with the moment, get cool during Summer as they cavort with the choreographed water geysers spurt from their water holes.