Cars catch fire in Boston’s Ted Williams Tunnel, snarling Memorial Day weekend traffic

BOSTON (AP) — The busy Memorial Day weekend got off to a rough start for Boston drivers when three cars caught fire on Friday inside the Ted Williams Tunnel, a main artery that in part carries traffic to Logan International Airport.

Three cars caught fire shortly after 4 p.m. after a crash, according to the Boston Fire Department. Two off-ramps from Interstate 93 northbound were closed, state transportation officials said.

Six people were in the cars, fire officials said. Three sustained minor injuries.

Firefighters working in the tunnel were able to quickly extinguish two of the cars, according to fire officials. They said the third car was a hybrid that took longer to extinguish.

The cause of the crash and fire is under investigation. Transportation officials advised drivers in the area to use caution.

The Ted Williams Tunnel, named after the famed Boston Red Sox player, opened in 1995 as part of the mammoth “Big Dig” project that transformed Boston’s network of roads, bridges and tunnels in the city’s downtown area.