Tunnel boring continues under Chesapeake Bay for $3.9 billion HRBT Expansion project
The second phase of tunnel boring work for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project is making steady headway, according to project officials. The HRBT Expansion is a multi-year, $3.9 billion infrastructure project led by the Virginia Department of Transportation to alleviate traffic issues in the busy region, 13 News Now reported.
A large portion of the expansion project involves tunnel boring beneath the Chesapeake Bay, and the tunneling is excelling at a rapid pace. Tunnel boring machine (TBM) 'Mary' is currently nearing completion of a second journey underneath the bay. Officials said the machine is on track to finish the second bored tunnel by fall, which could break the record previously achieved in completing the first tunnel for the project (51 weeks).
According to 13 News Now, work to finish the first tunnel is running concurrently while Mary is boring the second tunnel, with crews completing the roadway base, installing emergency egress structures and complex drainage systems.
Crews have so far installed over 2,000 ft of pipe to support water drainage and treatment. Officials said to anticipate “huge milestones” through the rest of 2025.
The HRBT Expansion Project, led by the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Hampton Roads Connector Partners, remains the largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history. Once completed, it will increase tunnel capacity from four lanes to eight, easing congestion along I-64 and improving travel across the region.
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