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

  • Teams shortlisted for Pattullo Bridge replacement near Vancouver
    March 1, 2019
    The Canadian province of British Columbia has shortlisted three consortia to design and build a US$1.06 billion Pattullo Bridge replacement near Vancouver. Fraser Community Connectors is led by Kiewit Canada Development. Kiewet Infrastructure BC is the design-build contractor. The long-span bridge design contractors are T.Y. Lin International and International Bridge Technologies. A joint venture of Flatiron Constructors, Dragados Canada and Carlson Construction Pattullo includes ACS Infrastructure Ca
    Read More
  • All aboard the Wirtgen paving train on Germany’s A7 project
    February 21, 2019
    The A7 is being widened between Hamburg and Bordesholm from four lanes to six - in some places to eight - to ensure the motorway remains an efficient traffic artery. The aim is to create a pavement with a high degree of driving comfort but which withstands the loads of heavy-goods traffic. For widening the 60km stretch in the Schleswig-Holstein region, consortium Via Solutions Nord and joint venture ARGE A7 Hamburg-Bordesholm opted for steel reinforced concrete paving with an exposed aggregate concrete s
    Read More
  • India’s capital highway project will improve transport connections
    October 10, 2017
    Huge numbers of construction machines as well as plant and equipment are working overtime, backed by mammoth manpower, to meet the targeted completion deadline of March 2018 for India’s Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE). The 135km arterial route is being built with six lanes and surrounds India’s National Capital, Delhi, its National Capital Region (NCR) and the industrially developed North Indian states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
    Read More
  • Machine control technology shortens road contract
    May 28, 2013
    The use of sophisticated machine control technology has helped halve the schedule required for a road contract – Jeff Winke. By using the latest machine control systems on the equipment fleet, a US contractor has managed to halve worker hours, machine time and overall costs. “We chopped 50% off the contract schedule,” said Jim Swenson, licensed professional land surveyor for Oregon Mainline Paving based in McMinnville, Oregon. “The project was completed a year ahead of the two-year schedule,” he explained
    Read More

Highlighted Content