BOSTON (AP) – The state Transportation Department says it will remove or cover thousands of feet of handrails in the Big Dig tunnels that have been connected to the deaths of eight people, including a state trooper.

The agency did not disclose the cost or the timing of the

project in a report released Thursday.

The rails along about six miles of tunnels are on top of raised walkways and are designed to keep maintenance workers from falling into traffic.

The Boston Globe reports that since 2005, the sharp-edged rails are believed to have contributed to the deaths of eight people who died after striking or getting entangled in them after accidents.

The latest fatality occurred last month.

About 8,000 feet of railing will be removed and chain-link mesh placed over railings in other areas.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)