TBM Breaks Through on 2nd HRBT Expansion Tunnel

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion project celebrated a milestone on Sept. 24 with the breakthrough of the southbound tube of the twin-tube highway project. The milestone signals the end of major excavation for the $3.9 billion project.

The HRBT Expansion project constitutes the largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history. The HRBT Expansion aims to ease congestion along a nearly 10-mile corridor along I-64 through the addition of twin, two-lane bored tunnels under the harbor. In addition to new tunnel construction, the project involves replacing/building bridge structures (five bridges to be replaced, 23 to be widened), replacing marine trestles and widening of the roadway in each direction.

The tunnels were built using a variable-density Herrenknecht slurry TBM. The TBM arrived onsite in 2021 and was launched in April 2023. The TBM completed the nearly 8,000-ft drive in April 2024, was rotated on a turntable and re-launch to complete the second drive. The final project completion is expected by 2027.

The project represents only the third TBM-bored highway tunnel in the United States (Port of Miami Tunnel and Seattle SR 99 Tunnel are the others), and the second largest TBM used in the country to date (behind SR 99). The 46-ft diameter variable density TBM is also the largest machine of its kind ever fabricated.

In early 2019, VDOT entered into a design-build contract with Hampton Roads Connector Partners to build the project. Hampton Roads Connector Partners includes Dragados USA, Vinci Construction Grands Projects, Flatiron Constructors and Dodin Campenon Bernard, with HDR and Mott MacDonald as design joint venture. Ryan Banas of HNTB is serving as the Project Director with support from an integrated team of VDOT and WSP staff.