BOSTON (AP) – Big Dig officials have found nearly two dozen more defects with wall panels in the Interstate 93 tunnels, bringing the total number of problem panels to more than 100.

Also Thursday, Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello said he’s hired another independent consulting firm to conduct an analysis of the proposed repair procedures for defective panels.

The 23 new defects were found in one of the deepest portions of the tunnels. Eleven were described as “minor” requiring a concrete patch, while another 12 will need a more extensive steel and concrete repair.

“I did not expect to find these,” said Keith Sibley, construction director for Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, managers of the $14.6 billion highway project.

Of the 1,600 panels now inspected, defects have been found in 102.

The portion of the highway where the new defects were found is where the I-93 tunnel dips down to pass under the ramps for the Callahan and Sumner tunnels.

Another batch of defects were found in the other deepest portion of the tunnel near South Station.