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

  • Malta-Gozo tunnel project plans
    July 1, 2020
    The Malta-Gozo tunnel project is being planned.
    Read More
  • Brisbane’s new airport link is an engineering success
    April 12, 2013
    Financial troubles for Brisbane's new Airport Link overshadow its construction success – Adrian Greeman writes. Political argument and legal dispute is likely to rage for some time yet over the bankruptcy of Australian road operator BrisConnect, which went into receivership this February with A$3 billion in debt. Toll paying users for its new Airport Link have been less than half the predicted numbers since it opened in July last summer. But if its nancial engineering is being questioned, the same is not t
    Read More
  • Major Necaxa-Tihuatlan Highway project for Mexico
    October 1, 2014
    A new highway in Mexico is connecting Necaxa with Tihuatlan and the project features challenging terrain - Mauro Nogarin reports In Mexico a landmark highway project is now close to completion, having set a number of records for Latin America.
    Read More
  • Tunnel project of Chilean capital Santiago
    April 8, 2015
    Tunnel construction in Chilean capital Santiago will help cut chronic congestion – Mauro Nogarin & Mike Woof write. Chile’s capital Santiago is a thriving city having benefited from the country’s economy growing strongly in recent years. The massive copper mining sector has helped boost the country’s GDP significantly in the past few decades, also aided by the growing international reputation of Chile’s large wine industry. The steady economic growth has resulted in an equally steady growth in average incom
    Read More

Highlighted Content