One year into its scheduled 55-month construction schedule, the $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion project is making significant progress toward the planned mid-2022 start of boring for twin two-lane 7,500-ft-long tubes, doubling the existing crossing’s capacity.
According to Virginia Dept. of Transportation project director Jim Utterback, about 505,000 sq ft of slurry wall panels have been completed on the existing south portal island to support excavation for the tunnel boring machine’s 65-ft-deep launch pit. Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP)—a design-build joint venture of Dragados USA, Vinci, Dodin Campenon Bernard and Flatiron Constructors—is now redeploying the slurry equipment to the north portal island, which was recently expanded by approximately 15 acres.