The great political rivalry of the 1980’s was between President Ronald Reagan, a fiscal conservative and House Speaker Tip O’Neill, a Massachusetts liberal. O’Neill was a champion of what was then known as the “Central Artery Third Harbor Tunnel” project. Money for the project was included in the 1987 Federal Highway bill. Reagan vetoed the bill calling it a “textbook example of special interests and pork barrel politics.” By then Tip O’Neill had retired, but his influence on Capitol Hill remained.
Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Mitch McConnell both had a role in what happened next.
This is the third in a nine-part podcast series about history and politics of the Big Dig – one of the most notoriously troubled infrastructure projects in American history.
It was created as an audio experience. This presentation includes archival images.

Episode 1:    • The Big Dig began with activists who ...  
Episode 2:    • How two competing tunnel projects bec...  

Episode 4:    • Here's why Boston's beloved Zakim Bri...  
Episode 5:    • It took a feat of engineering and a p...  
Episode 6:    • Here's how billions of dollars in cos...  
Episode 7:    • How a power struggle over a Massachus...  

You can find more about The Big Dig podcast at https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the-big...

And you can hear more about Tip O'Neill in this GBH News radio interview with The Big Dig host Ian Coss: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2023-...

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