The Big Dig
5.0/5
Critic Rating
There is a cynicism that hangs over the topic of American infrastructure – whether it’s high-speed rail or off-shore wind – it feels like this country can’t build big things anymore. No one project embodies that cynicism quite like what Bostonians call ‘The Big Dig.’ Infamous for its ever-increasing price tag, this massive highway tunneling effort was once ridiculed as the Big Mess, the Big Hole, the Big Pig, the Big Lie. But now, decades later the story looks more complicated. So how did the narrative around this project go so horribly wrong? And what lessons can it offer for the ambitiou...
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Sarah Larson • New Yorker • Sep 29, 2023
"hosted by Ian Coss...excavates the whole fascinating story, with an eye toward understanding current-day cynicism and idealism about infrastructure. ...he brings the story to life with original music and excellent archival audio...Coss deploys memorable details, like a key character, hard at work, waking up one night with his nose in a pizza."