BOSTON (AP) – A leak in the $14.6 billion Big Dig resulted in a big headache.

Gridlock ensued when water began leaking into the northbound lanes of the tunnel, at one of its deepest points, just north of South Station at about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. The tunnel carries Interstate 93 through the city.

The water resulted in two lanes of the tunnel being closed to traffic underneath downtown Boston, shortly before the evening rush hour was to begin. The closure was soon reduced to one lane.

Northbound traffic headed into the city was backed up for miles behind the leak on the Southeast Expressway, and entrance ramps to the tunnel from the Massachusetts Turnpike and from Boston city streets were closed.

Court sides with church in lawsuit over Weymouth parish

BOSTON (AP) – A Superior Court judge on Wednesday rejected an attempt by parishioners to save St. Albert the Great in Weymouth, siding with archdiocese officials who targeted the church for closure as part of a restructuring plan.

Parishioners have occupied St. Albert the Great since Aug. 29 to protest the closing of the church. They sued, seeking an injunction that would have barred the archdiocese from selling the church buildings and other assets.

Archbishop Sean O’Malley announced in May that 82 parishes would be closed in a major restructuring brought on by falling attendance and economic woes caused partly by the clergy sex abuse scandal that began in Boston.

Parishioners at the targeted parishes have fought the closings in a variety of ways.

On Sunday, parishioners at St. Anselm Church in Sudbury began their own occupation in anticipation of that parish’s Wednesday closing.

Colin Riley, a spokesman for the St. Albert’s parishioners, said they would continue to press their case in court.

“We will not leave the property,” he said.

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