At last, Bostonians are reaping the benefits of the Big Dig.

The decade-long highway construction project has caused daily aggravation for so many people over these years, and now a large part has been completed.

We were among the first to try out the new northbound tunnel on a Sunday morning two weeks ago, and we have had occasion to drive the route several times since. To date, it can be said the Big Dig is an even bigger success: it is a pleasure to drive to Boston.

A mid-morning commute to the Mass General Hospital last Friday is a great example. We entered the Expressway at Neponset at about quarter to eleven, and traveled without delay the entire route. We timed the drive: eight minutes, from Gallivan Blvd. to Charles Street, off Storrow Drive. Without a hitch.

Fact is, we have found it is now easier and faster to get to the other side of the city- Charlestown, the Back Bay and beyond- than it is to reach the south side- the South End, Park Square, the Boston Common.

After years of crafting finely timed alternate routes, we veteran Boston drivers are now faced with this conundrum: forget about the old side streets and secret short cuts. The best way is the expressway. Who'd of thought!

The near completion of the highway work is making life better for a lot of people. The state opened the underground roadway leading to the Ted Williams Tunnel in early winter and access to Logan Airport is now swift and easy. Plus, the new northbound Central Artery moves drivers through the city and open up the routes to the north. Once underground, there are only two exits, one to Government Center, the other to Storrow Drive. First time users should stay in the left lanes, and avoid delays caused by unfamiliarity with the new road's options.

The bottom line is that the huge investment in public dollars has begun to pay off. Making the expressway better should help our neighborhoods also: a smoother stream of traffic on the highway lessens the need to use neighborhood streets through Dorchester and South Boston for drivers heading beyond our area.

We have one additional suggestion for the highway department: it's probably time now to suspend use of the HOV lane northbound between Braintree and Savin Hill, as merging traffic still causes headaches. The HOV lane has served its purpose. Now that traffic can move briskly over the new roadway north of Savin Hill, it's time to shut it down, streamline the traffic flow from south of the city, and bring an end to the congestion caused by the artificial and unnecessary merge point at Savin Hill.

Once again, Bain and Company's Mitt Romney has made a bad decision, this time on the highway. Good ol' Mitt refuses to allow former Speaker Tip O'Neill to be memorialized with the naming of the new Central Artery Tunnel. Romney says he abhors the naming of public sites after public officials- even after a major new state office building in his home state of Michigan is named to honor his father George.

At the risk of encouraging civil disobedience, we can say we fully intend to refer to the new underground roadway through the city as the Tip O'Neill Tunnel, and we strongly disagree with Romney's position. In fact, we will be glad to rename the Mass Pike after Mitt himself- and we hope that's the highway he takes to get out of town. The sooner, the better.

- Ed Forry