What The Hell's Going on on the Union Street Bridge

Sometime in the past week, a big, hulking, army-green metal tank took up residence on the south sidewalk of the Union Street pedestrian and car bridge that crossed the BQE gulch. It's loosely cordoned off by a haphazard collection of construction cones, orange plastic netting and yellow tape. Several large plastic tubes snake from the metal megabox over the south fence and down toward the BQE, where they disappear somewhere inside the tunnel under the bridge. A big sign tellers walkers to use the other side of the sidewalk.

What the hell is this thing? Who knows? But it ain't good. There's a big orange sign saying "Warning: Hazardous Material Storage Area." Cool! That makes me feel all warm and cozy as I walk my son past the contaminated thing on our way to school every morning. Another sign says there a fire extinguisher on hand. In case the thing catches fire, you mean? Is that a possibility?

How about a little more information of the Big Box of Waste? The only other forms taped to the site mention some sort of traffic congestion relief project. Could it be that the tubes are sucking up car and truck exhaust and storing it in that green container? Someone suggested to me that they might be cleaning the underside of the bridge. It's bizarre.