The South End News explains all the financial folderol about the $800-million Columbus Center project you may have seen over the weekend: The project could be pining for the fjords:

"While we still kind of have hopes for the project," [Turnpike Authority spokesman Mac Daniel] said, "it looks like it's being put on hold."

Like, for at least 18 months. The turnpike authority is involved because the luxo-condo project would sit on a deck atop the Mass. Pike.

Overturned tractor trailer causes seven-mile backup, eastbound in Hopkinton.

Train Rider: Now today is one of those days that I was actually happy to be taking the commuter rail to work instead of the Mass Pike.

The authority gambled on interest rates and lost, and now it could be out several million dollars.

Hmm, sounds familiar.

Not that that stopped the guy who tied up traffic Tuesday:

... In a video released by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Thursday, the flatbed truck carrying a crane is seen heading into the Ted Williams Tunnel. It triggered the overheight sensors and the warning sign before the tunnel's entrance, but the driver didn't stop. ...

Gun-toting toll takers.

Esoteric Diversions: I'm glad I never tried any of those Toll Booth Willy jokes on the MassPike toll booth operators.

It's purely selfish, I'll readily admit: I now get through the Weston tolls a lot faster.

See, so many people now have transponders that they queue up something fierce at evening rush trying to get onto 128, because they can't use the lanes still staffed by actual people - of which there are typically at least four. Me? I'm a lazy cuss and I don't have a transponder. So all I have to do is weave in and out of the stalled transponder losers and get myself to one of the manned booths and I'm outta there.

Actually, even getting on the turnpike at Framingham is usually quicker for me than for the FastLane slowpokes for the same reason.

So what if this costs the authority money it doesn't have? It works for me. Thanks, Teamsters!

Dental convention backs up traffic on Pike. State Trooper quoted as saying the problem was that all 28,000 attendees at the annual Yankee Dental Congress at the convention center seemed be on a molar express for the opening session, which really bit for people just doing their morning drill, trying to get somewhere else on the turnpike and I-93 this morning.

On a road trip to Syracuse, Maureeen Rogers noticed a colossal flat bed hauling lobster traps west on the turnpike:

... Whatever else global warming has brought us, it has not yet brought us MidWest lobsters. Yes, the shorelines eroding, but it hasn't gotten that far yet. So, since lobster trappers in New England seem to have gone over to the new fangled plastic wired cages, I'm guessing this truck load was heading to someplace that was going to turn them into coffee tables. ...

It signed long-term air-rights leases without any requirements that structures over the turnpike be maintained. Then again, it could give us fun new songs for the kiddies:

Pru tunnel is falling down
Falling down
Falling down
My fair lady. ...

Just something to think about as you pay your higher tolls today on the Boston Extension and drive under this.

That didn't take long at all: Truck takes out brand new Allston U-turn.