The Virginia Dept. of Transportation named McDonough Bolyard Peck of Fairfax, Va., as part of the program management team for the $1-billion Midtown Tunnel project in Hampton Roads.

MBP will act as an extension of VDOT's staff, participating in negotiations with the design-build firm to reach a comprehensive agreement and then begin the design and construction phases for the tunnel.

The main focus for the PM team through 2010 will be the feasibility determination and viability of the project financing.

The feasibility determination is anticipated to be completed by spring 2011. The design and construction phases of the project have tentative completion dates of 2014-2015.

The Midtown Tunnel connects the two cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth. The project includes: construction of a two-lane tunnel that will run under the Elizabeth River, parallel to the existing Midtown Tunnel; construction of a 1-mi-long bridge through Portsmouth that will be an extension of the Martin Luther King Freeway and will also connect to the Midtown Tunnel; and associated interchanges. The project will be funded mostly by toll revenue.