February/March 2025 Edition

Each February we take time to recognize the impact that engineering professionals have on the many facets of our daily lives. The HRBT Expansion Project has provided all of us a distinct opportunity to better understand and appreciate the monumental undertakings these individuals execute on a regular basis all with improving our local communities in mind. 

This year’s theme for National Engineers Week “Designing the Future,” was an appropriate description of the men and women at the HRBT Expansion project, who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for Hampton Roads’ residents and visitors. The knowledge and expertise they bring to the job every day is transforming the way we will travel throughout the region for decades to come. While you may not see them on the news or written about in headlines, their contributions, no doubt, are felt by the millions of people who will complete billions of trips across our facility once completed.

While we are fortunate to benefit from their labors, they, too, appreciate how fortunate they are to deliver this monumental infrastructure and the immense responsibility they have to each and every commuter in Hampton Roads to do it in a safe, efficient manner. I ask you to take a minute and thank an engineer that you may know for their contributions. As an engineer, and on behalf of the HRBT Expansion Project, we thank you for the opportunity to deliver a once in a lifetime project and we look forward to sharing in the benefits of an expanded HRBT with you as quickly as we can arrive there together.

Drive safe,

Ryan Banas

Where's Mary?

Mary The Tunnel Boring Machine continues making impressive progress. Now more than 2,000 feet along her second journey, Mary mined 366 feet during the week of February 10th. That’s her best week since mining in the second tunnel began in October 2024. With more than 305 completed rings behind her, Mary is 26 percent of the way towards completing the second tunnel. Mary just came off a short break last month so crews could install two booster pumps (volume capability 13,200 gallons per minute) to help move the slurry between the TBM and Katherine the Slurry Treatment Plant located on South Island. As a point of interest, each of those booster pumps weighs over 40 tons. As the TBM continues towards the lowest point of the tunnel, Mary will soon begin the long uphill climb to the South Island. During the pump installations, the crews continued other work with ballast placement in the new tunnel and interior concrete structures and utilities in the first tunnel.

South Island Portal Progress

Did you know that the original HBRT was the first tunnel to be built between two manmade islands? Our project team is well on the way to making history again with the first two bored subaqueous tunnels in VDOT history.

Though unseen by motorists, significant progress has been made at the South Island tunnel portal. The open launch shaft, originally excavated for assembly and launch of the tunnel boring machine in April 2023, is now partially filled with permanent concrete structures. The structures are steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete walls and slabs that will guide traffic between the new bored tunnels and the new South Trestle bridge to Norfolk.

The slabs include a roadway slab to carry traffic through the tunnel, a plenum slab to separate the traffic level from the tunnel’s upper mechanical components, and a final roof slab which will serve as the foundation and support for the ventilation and control building to be located above the portal. Between the slabs are corridors of reinforced concrete walls which provide structural support for the slabs and separate the utility spaces from the space dedicated to traffic.

As the walls and slabs continue to be developed, temporary steel struts, originally used for excavation stabilization, will be removed. This requires careful planning to ensure the removal process does not impact the structural stability of the portal.

On the horizon for 2025 fire life safety and mechanical components will be assembled and installed in the plenum level. These features will help ensure the safety of the travelling public and tunnel maintenance teams during day-to-day operations and unforeseen emergencies.

HRCP placing concrete to form the base slab for the northern tunnel approach structure

Crewmembers secure formwork before placing concrete to form the walls within the tunnel approach structure

Landside

In Norfolk, new Southside soundwalls continue to take shape as crews install vertical support beams along I-64 east and west (bottom left). Next, crews will connect the beams to parapets which serve as additional road barriers, then bring in panels to finish the job.

In other landside news, widening of Willoughby Bay Bridge (pictured right) is making progress toward completion. The eastbound deck pours are scheduled to be completed this month, marking a key milestone in bridge construction. Traffic is expected to be shifted onto the newly constructed lanes this fall.  

At Fourth View Street, crews completed repaving, restriping, and making drainage improvements under the overpass allowing for the removal of construction signs and barrels (bottom right). Not far from Fourth View, steady progress continues at Bayview Boulevard. All girders spanning Bayview are now in place, setting the stage for the next phase of construction.

Traffic changes as a result of road improvements associated with the HRBT Expansion project began in February with the opening of the permanently relocated Exit 272-West Ocean View Avenue/Willoughby Spit off-ramp from I-64 East and the temporary closing of the I-64 East 13th View/Bayville on-ramp in Norfolk. 

The relocated I-64 East Bayville Street/Willoughby off-ramp shifts the existing off-ramp two-thousand feet to the east and ends near the public boat ramp.  There are all-way stop signs at the foot of the off-ramp to allow coordinated traffic movement. 

The temporary traffic pattern is anticipated to be in place through April 2025.

The HRBT Expansion Project was pleased to welcome Rear Admiral Carl Lahti, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and Naval Station Norfolk Commanding Officer Capt. M. Schlarmann along with nine other officers and civilian staff members for a project tour.

The distinguished visitors were met at the Welcome Center by District Engineer Chris Hall and Project Director Ryan Banas, before touring the South and North Islands. The Navy personnel entered the second bored tunnel currently under construction and learned how Mary The Tunnel Boring Machine operates.

Hall and Banas led a similar tour on February 7 for Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and five members of his staff, along with a representative from the office of Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller.

Both groups witnessed how the TBM forms the concrete liners to shape the second bored tunnel, along with interior tunnel and tunnel approach structure work underway on both islands.

(Right) Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and staff get an up-close view of the inside of Mary The TBM.

(Above) Naval Station Norfolk Commanding Officer Capt. Schlarmann, Rear Admiral Lahti, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and others from the Regional Command board the TBM.

Community engagement continues to be a critical part of the HRBT Expansion Project, and our leadership and staff remain committed to sharing project progress and updates with the public regularly.

Whether it’s outreach to civic groups and neighborhood associations, PowerPoint presentations to community organizations, or tours of the HRBT Welcome Center, keeping the public informed about the expansion work, construction-related travel impacts, and job opportunities is imperative until the project is completed.

On March 5. 2025, more than 50 graduate students and faculty from University of Virginia's School of Architecture visited the HRBT Expansion for an in-depth presentation on the Commonwealth's largest infrastructure project in history.

Residents of The Chamberlin independent living facility (formerly the historic Chamberlin Hotel) can look out their windows and see cranes, barges, and some of the island expansion work underway.  But on February 10, they were treated to an even better understanding when VDOT District Engineer Chris Hall and HRBT Project Director Ryan Banas provided some personal insights into the project construction and the future of the bridge tunnel.



Residents asked pertinent questions about Mary The Tunnel Boring Machine and plans for adding capacity to I-64 on both sides of the harbor. More than one resident remembered the original 1957 HRBT being built and was among the first to cross the harbor by vehicle. 

The Tidewater Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute visits the HRBT Welcome Center for a technical overview of the project.

HRBT Project Deputy Director Peter Reilly shares a diagram showing the interior design for the new tunnels with the Old Wythe Neighborhood Association in Hampton.

VDOT's Taylor Stump joined forces with HRBT Communications to promote transportation and engineering careers to teens at The Slover in Norfolk.

More than 100 residents from the Peninsula and Southside stopped by the HRBT Welcome Center Open Houses in February to hear about the project’s history, to see a model of Mary The TBM, to view different artifacts, and to learn about the process of tunnel mining underwater.

Among last month's guests were lifelong residents, veterans, home school students, engineers, teachers, tunnel enthusiasts, employees, and more.

 Three sisters from Hampton pose by a model of Mary The TBM at the HRBT Welcome Center Open House.

 Norview Girl Scout Troop 743 views a model of Katherine the Slurry Treatment Plant which supports Mary's mining operations.

The next Welcome Center Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at 9401 4th View Street in Norfolk.

Meet Matt Liffick, Virginia Beach native and one of four Resident Engineers for the HRBT Expansion Project. Matt’s responsibilities include all landside work, roadways, and interstate overpass and bridge construction. As a VDOT consultant and part of the VDOT Team on the project, Liffick oversees the contractor's progress, ensuring work meets agency standards, identifies problems, and helps the contractor resolve issues before they impact progress. His approach -- to identify challenges early and communicate clear expectations yields quality results.

Every engineer has a unique inspiration for pursuing a career in engineering. For Liffick, it was a natural talent for math and physics in high school. After high school, Liffick attended Virginia Military Institute where he studied civil engineering with hopes of one day witnessing structures take shape from the ground up. That original spark ignited a flourishing 16-year career in heavy civil construction.

After earning his degree, Liffick began his career in general contracting with a focus on vertical construction like commercial buildings. But after just three years, he shifted his focus to transportation, serving as risk manager and later construction manager for the Gilmerton Bridge Project in Chesapeake. His career trajectory continued upward as he was promoted to project manager for the I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvement Project—experience that helped prepare him for his current role managing the rehabilitation, widening, and replacement of 25 bridges and roadway along the HRBT corridor.

The challenges, he says, are what make engineering exciting. And it’s a bonus that he can show his wife and two sons, ages 10 and 13, all the bridges he’s helped build in Hampton Roads. When he’s not working on bridges or resolving challenges in construction, he enjoys watching his sons play baseball, a sport he played while earning his degree at VMI.

While the Expansion Team is recognized for its international expertise and ambition, hometown engineers like Liffick take special pride in helping transform the community where they were born and raised. His dedication to his craft and connection to the region’s infrastructure make him an invaluable asset, not only to the project but to Hampton Roads and the engineering community at large.

The HRBT Expansion Project’s annual Women in Construction Week lunch brought together women from across the project to recognize the growing presence and impact of women in the construction field. This year's event featured a panel discussion with representatives from the National Association of Women in Construction.

In recognition of Engineers Week, host Paula Miller was joined by project engineers (left to right) VDOT Project Manager Michelle Martin, VDOT Construction Manager Josh Gormer, VDOT Engineering Manager Chris Foley, and HRCP Engineer Ali Schreck for a special episode of HRBT Tunnel Talk.

Members of the Community Action Committee, including Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) Executive Director Bob Crum (far right) pose for a photo with the HRBT LOVEworks sign at 9401 4th View Street in Norfolk.

Hampton Roads in Action

On February 13, 2025, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) and Hampton Roads Planning District Commission's (HRPDC) Community Advisory Committee hosted their bi-monthly meeting at the HRBT Welcome Center. Members representing the region's localities and partner agencies—including the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable, Hampton Roads Military Federal Facilities (HRMFFA), Hampton Roads Workforce Council, The Planning Council, and Virginia Wesleyan University—met to discuss strategies to advance regional initiatives impacting Hampton Roads.

This month's meeting featured an overview and construction update for the HRBT Expansion Project which serves as a testament to strategic collaboration across boundaries.

HRBT Welcome Center Hosts COMTO Inaugural Scholarship Awards

On Friday, January 31, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Hampton Roads hosted its 2025 scholarship awards dinner at the HRBT Welcome Center.

The evening was dedicated to the organization's mission of expanding opportunities in the transportation industry through scholarships, networking opportunities, and other resources.

In addition to their scholarship awards, honorees Coung Bui, a senior at Kecoughtan High School with plans to study Computer Engineering at Old Dominion University and Tania Outland, a Business Management major at Virginia State University received words of encouragement and information about career opportunities from sponsors and project partners including HNTB, Vinci, and ATCO Hauling to name a few.

Photo: Scholarship recipients Coung Bui and Tania Outland show off their plaques with the COMTO Hampton Roads Board at the HRBT Welcome Center.

HRBT Expansion Project Director Recognized for Leadership

CoVa Biz, the business magazine of Coastal Virginia has named Ryan Banas one of its 150 Most Influential Leaders. The magazine’s editorial staff which makes the selection aims to “spotlight those individuals whose efforts in their respective fields of endeavor serve to elevate our region and add to its vitality.” Banas and the other honorees will be recognized at a reception at the Slover Library on March 20. This is the fourth significant award for Banas in recent months. Virginia Business placed Banas on its POWER 500 list, in November he received the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce ICON award and Women in Transportation Seminar-Hampton Roads Chapter bestowed on him the Honorable Ray LaHood Award for advancing women and minorities in key positions.  Congratulations Ryan!

As of late February, contractor crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) have implemented a new traffic pattern on I-64 west, between Tidewater Drive (exit 277) and Patrol Road in Norfolk to support bridge rehabilitation work on the Granby Street and East Little Creek Road overpasses, as part of construction for the first phase of the Hampton Roads Express Lanes (HREL) Norfolk Segment.

Under the new roadway configuration, one I-64 west mainline lane is closed near East Little Creek Road (exit 276C). However, for motorists traveling west toward the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT), a new, temporary general-purpose lane has opened alongside the existing Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes roadway as an alternate lane for I-64 west traffic and to maintain two general-purpose lanes through the corridor. This lane, which will ultimately become a westbound Express Lane in the future, can be accessed from a newly constructed left entrance ramp on I-64 west after Tidewater Drive (exit 277) and before Little Creek Road (exit 276C). Concrete barriers are in place separating the Express Lanes traffic from this new alternate lane.

Motorists using the new alternate lane are only able to exit at the Reversible Express Lanes exit to I-64 west after Granby Street. This lane does not have access to the East Little Creek Road, I-564 or Granby Street exits (exits 276 A/B/C). One I-64 west through lane remains open along the existing mainline and provides access to all exits along I-64

west. The two additional lanes on I-64 west leading to I-564 remain unchanged in their current configuration. The new I-64 west alternate lane merges back into the I-64 west

mainline past Patrol Road and continues west toward the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

(HRBT).

The Reversible Express Lanes will continue to operate as normal during this new traffic pattern, which is estimated to be in place through fall 2025.

To learn more about the HREL Norfolk Segment, visit https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/projects/major-projects/64expresslanes/about-hrel/norfolk-segment-1a/ or click the button below.