Mining operations on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion is now in its final stage, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday.
The project’s tunnel boring machine, named Mary in honor of NASA engineer Mary Winston Jackson, completed boring through two tunnels three weeks ahead of schedule after the final of two tunnels began in October 2024, reaching depths of 173 feet.
“Hampton Roads is home to the Port of Virginia and the world’s largest military installation, making it vital to both international trade and national security,” Youngkin said in a press release. “Today’s breakthrough brings us one step closer to ending gridlock in the region, unlocking new opportunities for the free flow of people and commerce through the Commonwealth, and ensuring our military personnel in the region are ready to respond more quickly when duty calls.”
Duffy said in a statement that life is better for Americans when transporting people and goods is easier.
“The final breakthrough of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel demonstrates what’s possible when collaboration meets innovation to build big, beautiful infrastructure,” Duffy said.
Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III credited the 2013 Virginia General Assembly, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission for making the project a reality.
“The region’s vision and funding support for this nearly $4 billion project, which doubles capacity, means motorists will enjoy much less congestion and much more travel time reliability across Hampton Roads’ busiest crossing for years to come,” Miller said.
During the tunnel’s construction, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Hampton Roads Connector Partners broke world records when Mary tunneled more than 366 feet in a single week.
VDOT’s Commissioner of Highways Stephen C. Brich said as the department leads one of the largest highway projects in the state’s history, they remain laser-focused on bringing the project to fruition.
The boring machine will install the final six rings of the tunnel over the coming weeks, which will complete a total of three miles beneath the Hampton Roads Harbor. The tunnel will then be outfitted with a roadway, ventilation systems, and additional safety features.
The second tunnel reached breakthrough in April of 2024, and both tunnels will be opened simultaneously at the project’s completion in 2027.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy joined the Governor in celebration of the latest milestone.
