Work starting on second Chesapeake Tunnel project

Work is now starting on a major tunnel project in the US state of Virginia. Construction of a second tunnel connection for the Chesapeake Bay is expected to cost US$756million. The original Chesapeake Bay Tunnel and Bridge crossing opened to traffic in April 1964 and measures just over 37km long. Construction of a second parallel bridge was commenced in 1995 and opened to traffic in 1999. However the central tunnel link was not widened at that time and now carries more traffic than it was designed for, whil
September 20, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Work is now starting on a major tunnel project in the US state of Virginia. Construction of a second tunnel connection for the Chesapeake Bay is expected to cost US$756million. The original Chesapeake Bay Tunnel and Bridge crossing opened to traffic in April 1964 and measures just over 37km long. Construction of a second parallel bridge was commenced in 1995 and opened to traffic in 1999. However the central tunnel link was not widened at that time and now carries more traffic than it was designed for, while also suffering some delays at peak periods. To increase capacity as well as to boost safety, a second bore is now being constructed and this will eliminate the need for two-way traffic as at present.


This new tunnel will be driven using a TBM with the work being carried out by the Chesapeake Tunnel Joint Venture, a partnership between the contractors 4761 Dragados and Schiavone Construction Company. This machine will use a 12.8m diameter cutter head drive a new bore under the Thimble Shoal Channel, removing some 392,000m3 of material. In all, 9,000 pre-cast segments will be used to support the new tunnel and it will have an internal diameter of 11.9m, while the project is expected to require a total of 32,900m3 of concrete. The tunnel will measure around 1.6km long and will reach a maximum depth of 41.5m, with the work due for completion in 2022.

Finance & Funding

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Highways England: Lower Thames consultation
    July 14, 2021
    Earlier this year, Highways England announced that the three joint ventures, BFV, Bouygues Murphy and Dragados-Hochtief will be invited to enter into a competitive dialogue.
    Read More
  • New Moscow bus terminal
    June 25, 2018
    Construction work for a new bus terminal in Moscow is benefiting from the assistance of eight items of construction equipment from Liebherr. In all, the project is using seven crawler cranes and a piling ring that have been supplied by Liebherr for the work. This urban construction project is for an ultra-modern bus terminal, which will feature a capacity of 15,000 passengers/day. Approximately 1,600 bus services are expected/day and at peak times the facility will handle 1,000 passengers/hour. The new bus
    Read More
  • Slovakian road tunnel plan
    January 18, 2023
    Slovakia’s new road tunnel is being planned.
    Read More
  • Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar is redeveloping its airport
    August 23, 2016
    Mongolia’s economy is growing fast, with capital Ulaanbaatar the centre for activity. Being landlocked, the country depends heavily on aviation to carry passengers and cargo. The existing Chinggis Khaan International Airport was built in 1956 and upgraded in 1987 and 1997 for international traffic. But the old airport cannot meet demands and boosting the country’s capacity to handle flights is essential. The New Ulaanbataar International Airport (NUBIA) will triple passenger capacity to approximately 3
    Read More

Highlighted Content