Most Power Restored In Boston's Back Bay

Power has been restored to most of the 21,000 customers left in the dark after a smoky electrical transformer fire in Boston's Back Bay.

NStar says it is still working to get power to the Prudential Center and that intermittent outages are likely in the next few days as repair work continues.

Temporary cables and dozens of generators have been installed to bring back power until permanent repairs can be made, but the extensive work took longer than first expected.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis says there are still a few ongoing problems in the area, including some scattered outages.

"We are monitoring the situation carefully," Davis said. "People can be reassured that we will have a heavy police presence in this area until these problems are completely stabilized."

Mayor Tom Menino said he wants NStar to reimburse the city for the costs incurred due to the outages.

"We've spent about $85,000 so far on overtime costs for police," Menino said.

The Massachusetts Turnpike's exit 22 ramps to Copley Square and Prudential Center were closed Thursday to allow for the electrical work.

All subway stations in the area reopened Wednesday afternoon.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry has called on the Small Business Administration to do everything they can to help local businesses.

The Associated Press and WBUR Newsroom contributed to this report.

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