Is there any light at the end of this tunnel?

He leaves for work to the usual grandmotherly admonitions, like "drive carefully" and "wear your seat belt." Now, since news has surfaced that portions of Boston's tunnel system could be unsafe, taxi driver James Karahalios is hearing another: "Don't go through that tunnel."

"She tells me that every day," says Mr. Karahalios, as he steers his cab right through it. But, he insists, "I'm not going to stop my life because of a leak."

Such is the latest chapter in the saga of the Big Dig, the megaproject that took 20 years and $14.6 billion, and excavated more than 16 million cubic yards of soil. But now it's showing signs of disrepair - the most obvious of which came in September, when water gushed through the I-93 northbound tunnel and backed up traffic for miles.

Marred for decades by cost overruns, delays, and finger pointing, the Big Dig's checkered reputation has dipped still further in the public eye since two independent consulting engineers reported last week that they could no longer vouch for the tunnel's safety.

Megaprojects everywhere offer their share of political theater. San Francisco, for instance, has been roiled by controversy as it seeks to replace the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. The project and its series of schedule delays are the stuff of political squabbles, as cost overruns have ballooned from $1.3 billion eight years ago to $5.1 billion today.

But the Big Dig furor has been the longest and most animated of all. Last week the stakes got higher still as the US Attorney's office confirmed it is investigating the project, and Gov. Mitt Romney (R) renewed efforts to have turnpike authority chairman Matthew Amorello fired. Mr. Amorello, who insists the project is safe, isn't budging.

For those who drive the Big Dig - and some pass through the I-93 tunnel ten times a day - the debate is far more than political sport: They want basic questions answered. At the taxi pool at Logan International Airport, many cab drivers are taking the news in stride, though beneath their cavalier talk and confident smirks lies a hint of concern.

"I just bought a life-insurance policy," says Walter Abramovach, his peers erupting in laughter. "They are giving us a discount, in case we die in the Big Dig."

More laughter.

But later, amid banter in Creole, English, Arabic, and Russian, Mr. Abramovach says every joke contains a kernel of truth. "I am worried," he says. "You can't see any leaks or danger. But when they start talking about it, you start thinking."

At hearings in November called to address the artery leaks, engineers concluded that public safety was not at risk. The question centered on how to fix the leaks and who would pay. But last week, consultant Jack Lemley wrote in a letter to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority that he could no longer vouch for its safety.

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