Central Artery Tunnel opens.

The 8-mile, 6-lane tunnel links the Central Artery to Route 3 and Braintree. Some 100 homes were demolished during construction, which began in 1954. As a result, Massachusetts Public Works Commissioner John Volpe declares, “A tourist or businessman can go from the tip of Cape Cod to the New Hampshire border without ever hitting a traffic light.” But a subsequent study by Boston Traffic Department finds that the number of people walking or using mass transit to get to work declines by 33% between 1958-1964, while the number using automobiles increases by 35%.