NORFOLK, Va. — One of the largest infrastructure projects in Virginia history is making headway: the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) Expansion Project.
It’s no secret that heavy traffic and stoppages are common with the HRBT, especially during rush hour. This project is supposed to help alleviate that issue.
On Thursday, 13News Now got an exclusive look at where production stands.
Crews are in the process of building two underground tunnels and widening the crossing from four to eight lanes.
“There’s so much material and so many resources, equipment, labor that is all required and it all has to kind of work together,” Rob Gianna, a project manager, said.
On Thursday, crews worked on putting piles in the water, which is the base for the bridges. They also worked on the bridge deck structure over the waterway closest to Hampton.
PHOTOS: See how the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project is going
“We are building a new four-lane eastbound structure for the north bridge basically going from Hampton to the North Island. That will be the first traffic shift that the public notices,” Gianna said.
Gianna said the plan to shift traffic will happen in the spring. He said drivers will most likely see significant progress on the project by next year.
“A lot of people put a lot of time and effort and energy into this project, so it’s fun to be a part of it and see the changes that are taking place," Gianna said.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said the goal is to complete this almost $4 billion project by Nov. 2025.
VDOT said the square footage of both bridges when completed in November 2025 will be equivalent to 25 football fields.