VDOT gives green light for HRBT construction start

Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP) can now start interstate and tunnel work on the 9.9 mile (15.8km) project corridor. Until now, HRCP’s work was confined to geotechnical boring and preliminary activities to the 20m-deep TBM assembly and launch pit on the South Island. Tunnelling from there is scheduled to begin in early 2022.

The NTP comes just a month after the HRCP consortium received all necessary permits to start work in waterways and along Interstate 64 (I-64) between Hampton and Norfolk.

Jim Utterback, HRBT Expansion Project Director said: “Acquiring the permits for a project of this magnitude in 16 months was a remarkable effort. The coordination and collaboration among HRCP, federal and state agencies, and VDOT was a key to the success. Our goal is to continue this collaboration as we issue NTP and move into detailed design and construction of the project.”

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) scheme is the largest transportation project ever undertaken by the VDOT. The project will add twin, two-lane 14m-diameter tunnels to the existing HRBT tunnels. Due for completion in 2025, the project also includes replacement and rebuilding of 28 marine bridges and widening of I-64. So far, the project has not suffered any slowdown from the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2.4km-long twin tunnels will run beneath the estuary of the Elizabeth and James rivers. They will be positioned parallel to – and around 15m below – the existing tunnels. It is envisaged the TBM will take around a year to tunnel from the South Island toward the North Island (Norfolk to Hampton), excavating through the soft, over-consolidated sands and clays of the Yorktown formation. After a period of around four months needed to turn the TBM around, it will take the machine another year to bore a parallel tunnel back to the South Island.

The addition of twin two-lane tubes is aimed at easing congestion in the existing tunnels. Built in 1957 but added to in the 1970s, they comprise 23 immersed steel tubes entered through portals on two man-made islands (North and South). These are both linked to the mainland by trestle bridges.

The HRBT project is expected to bring between 1,200 - 1,500 construction-related jobs to the region. In addition to alleviating congestion and bringing more reliable travel times, the project is designed to enhance safety, improve hurricane evacuation routes, and ensure military and maritime readiness. Most of the construction and tunnelling will occur over a 55-month period between late 2020 and 2025.