December 2024 Edition

As 2024 draws to a close, I can’t help but look back with pride on the many accomplishments and records set by the HRBT Project Team over the last 12 months. 



Our significant achievements started off with the successful completion of the first bored tunnel for vehicle traffic in Virginia on April 17th, as Mary the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) broke through on North Island after her 51-week journey beneath the Hampton Roads harbor. Attention quickly shifted to the opening of the new eastbound north trestle between Hampton and North Island on May 3, marking the first new bridge at the HRBT in more than 50 years. Mary again stole the show on June 25 when she became the world’s largest diameter and heaviest tunnel boring machine ever rotated using nitrogen table technology. Her elegant rotation on what’s been dubbed “the world’s biggest lazy susan” was truly remarkable. Focus immediately shifted to the opening of the first phase of the new Mallory Street bridge in Hampton, providing a vital pedestrian link between Hampton University, the VA Hospital, and downtown Phoebus. On October 17th Mary, again, took center stage as she completed her reassembly and began what will become Hampton Roads second bored tunnel as she left North Island headed back towards South Island and Norfolk. The public was given its first opportunity to learn about the project, view some of these achievements, and discover our many historic artifacts on December 4th when the HRBT Expansion Project’s Welcome Center on 4th View Street in Norfolk was opened to the public. The opening date selected in conjunction with our celebration of World Tunneling day. 

While the progress of Mary and the many other tunnel-related activities can’t be seen by motorists as they cross the harbor, the miles of new asphalt, sound walls, and bridge decks along the HRBT Expansion’s 10-mile corridor are a vivid prediction for the future to come. Our more than 2,000 staff and craft employees thank you for another year of your faith and trust as we deliver what will prove to be Hampton Roads’ most transformative infrastructure project ever. 

We wish each of you a happy year end and look forward to sharing the many great milestones and achieves we have planned for 2025. Don’t forget, the best gift you can give this holiday season is putting your down your phone, slowing down, and focusing on the road so our staff, too, can enjoy time with family and friends!

Thank you,

Ryan Banas

Project Director

Mary the TBM

Mary The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) continues to mine her way under the Hampton Roads Harbor, effectively using state of the art technology to create her path.

The TBM began the twin tube on October 17, 2024, exactly six months after the first tunnel reached North Island. Two months into her second mission, Mary has excavated in excess of 750 feet and placed more than 105 concrete rings to begin the new tunnel. A total of 1,194 rings will form the new tube. That’s three concrete rings more than the first tube due primarily to the curvature of the tunnel.

It takes 5,600 kW of power, an amount equivalent to energizing 6,000 homes, to power the main drive and turn the cutterhead alone. The entire TBM requires over 25,000kW for all the pumps and other operations. Mary has performed flawlessly, operating 24 hours, only stopping on weekends for regular maintenance and rest for the around-the-clock crews. 

This month Mary hits the pause button only long enough to accommodate reconfiguration of the North Island shaft. Reconfiguration includes removing the thrust frame and other temporary structures that were necessary to get Mary’s cutterhead and shield through the headwall and begin boring. This allows the Tunnel Approach Structure (TAS) team to set up the area to begin working on constructing the interior concrete walls that motorists will see as the new tunnels form. 

Tunnel Interior

Tunnel construction made significant progress in 2024. Mary The Tunnel Boring Machine started the year with 668 rings in place, setting the stage for a productive year. By early spring, boring for the first tunnel successfully concluded with a total of 1,191 concrete rings constructed. This milestone was highlighted by Mary’s monumental breakthrough, marking completion of Virginia’s first bored transportation tunnel and only the third bored roadway tunnel in the U.S.

After breakthrough, crews began the first phase of the tunnel’s interior construction with the installation of stone ballast to form the base layer for the future roadway.   The ballast placement is now almost three-quarters of the way complete, the crews added new operations to include the construction of the egress corridor and the low point pump station.   Just outside the tunnel on the South Island crews are also actively working to form and place the interior structures to create the tunnel entrance structure.  Moving forward, crews will install permanent utilities, the roadway surface, and the placement of over 2.7 million tiles to cover the walls.   The tiles are a key component of allowing VDOT to maintain a clean tunnel environment as well as maximize the effectiveness of lighting in the new tunnels.

Stay tuned in 2025 for more on the people, tools, and engineering helping to bring HRBT's expanded future to life.

Marine Trestles

Construction for the North Trestle, connecting Hampton to the North Island has continued to make significant progress since the switch of eastbound traffic to the new trestle last May.  Crews continue to install features and utilities and prepare the east bound trestle for its permanent operation.



The Beam Launcher is being used to place the girders for the new westbound North Trestle continues its very visible work installing the 85 inch tall concrete girders.   With only 12 of 93 girders left to install, this significant piece of equipment has certainly earned its reputation as an efficient, effective method to install bridge girders.

As the girders are set in place, and each bay is completed, crews follow behind installing the stainless-steel deck reinforcement and placing the concrete deck that will ultimately support traffic.

Construction on the South Trestle continues to progress with key milestones ahead in 2025, most notably, the upcoming westbound traffic shift to the temporary South Trestle. This shift will allow crews to demolish the old bridge without disrupting traffic flow, a feat made possible through meticulous planning and innovative engineering.

Pictured right is the installation of the trestle's tooth joint, designed to manage thermal expansion, contraction, and vibration. This specialized joint is critical in maintaining the bridge's stability and longevity through temperature changes and heavy traffic.

Landside Bridges

Landside bridge work in Norfolk has also made some very visible strides in 2024.  The rehabilitation of the Willoughby Bay Bridge (pictured right) is well underway with almost the entire widened bridge area for the eastbound lanes in place and structure and substructure work ongoing to support the westbound lanes.

At the same time, parapet and soundwall installation continues along the Norfolk section of the corridor. The parapets serve as safety barriers, and the soundwalls will help reduce traffic noise for nearby communities after completion of the project. 

Parapet placement on Bay Avenue Bridge

Soundwall panel installation along I-64 E (between 4th View Street and Oastes Creek) nears completion.

The Mallory Street Bridge achieved it first major milestone in 2024 with the opening of the first half of the new bridge in August.   The new bridge includes a wider pedestrian path and the entire new bridge, when completed, will include pedestrian accommodations on each side of the bridge.

Crews are now focusing on demolition of the remaining old bridge half with construction of the new widened bridge beginning next year.

The HRBT Expansion Project team is educating the region during the construction phase with continued outreach to key partners. This year's outreach included events with the US Navy, Hampton Roads Public Schools, NASA and more.

Meanwhile, Project staff wrapped up a packed year of public engagement with visits to local civic leagues, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and Federal Highway Administration, while Project Director Ryan Banas delivered exciting project updates at the 2024 Virginia Governor's Transportation Conference.

Project Director Ryan Banas led Secretary of Transportation Shep Miller and members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board on a site tour starting on HRBT's South Island.

Contact the team at HRBTinfo@vdot.virginia.gov for more information on project presentations and other learning opportunities in 2025.

HRBT Welcome Center Opens to Public

UCA Women in Tunneling Tour

Two Norfolk Civic Leagues Join Together for HRBT Welcome Center Visit

Members of the Bayview and Cottage Line Civic Leagues (pictured above) took a field trip to the newly opened HRBT Welcome Center to learn about the project and items unearthed during excavation.

On November 13, the group was provided a progress briefing, followed by a close-up look at mastodon bones, cannonballs and other artifacts discovered during excavation work. The group was especially enamored with the model of Mary The Tunnel Boring Machine and peppered presenters with questions about tunneling and how the machine operates. After the presentation, members paused for a photo opportunity at the LOVEworks sign outside the Welcome Center.  

The Chief Engineer from the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), Keith Hamilton, and 10 of his senior staff (pictured below) visited the HRBT Expansion Project on November 12. The group received an orientation and project feature presentation from Project Director Ryan Banas, followed by site visits to the active construction areas on both the South and North Islands.  The engineers had an opportunity to go inside the newly bored tunnel, as well as walk into the TBM while Mary was performing mining/tunnel construction operations. The tour wrapped with a project procurement briefing by VDOT’s Deputy Project Director Pete Reilly and Michelle Martin, VDOT’s Consultant Project Manager.

Navy Engineers Visit Mary The TBM

Decades of Digging

Eric Evans, VDOT Tunnel Inspector

Tennessee native Eric Evans launched his tunneling career in the 1990’s working on what would become the Georgia Avenue Metro Station in Washington, D.C. Just a few hours away from Hampton Roads, he never expected that his professional journey would take him on the scenic route to one of the region’s most remarkable tunneling projects in history.

Along the way to his current role as VDOT Tunnel Inspector for the HRBT Expansion Project, Evans traveled the country for over 30 years building transit, water, and sewer tunnels. He's had a hand in expanding some of the country’s oldest railroad tunnels and some of the largest modern construction projects including the Central Artery project in Boston, the Heartland Corridor and the National Gateway railroad project. “Each job is never the same, but they have all been an amazing adventure,” he says.

Evans, a member of the team since 2021, works aboard Mary The Tunnel Boring Machine where he is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and quality of work being produced by Mary in real time. His days consist of inspecting concrete tunnel liner segments during and after installation and providing feedback to improve operations. As Mary settles into her second trip across the harbor, the TBM crew have their work cut out for them to ensure safety and integrity of the new tunnel.

Although Evans has played a role in several HRBT tunneling milestones to date, he's waiting until Mary breaks through the headwall of South Island to celebrate his success. "The job isn't finished until then!"

When he’s not on-site, Eric enjoys spending time with his growing family: his wife of over 20 years, their five adult children, soon-to-be six grandchildren, and three Siberian huskies. Evans lives in Williamsburg where he and his wife plan to retire.

There’s Always Time for Tunnel Talk

The HRBT Tunnel Talk Podcast had an exciting line up in 2024, diving deep into the behind-the-scenes stories of the HRBT Expansion Project. Guests gave expert insight on topics ranging from funding and artifacts to environmental protections and the ground-shaking arrival of Mary, The Tunnel Boring Machine, at North Island.

As we gear up for more milestones in the new year, stay tuned for the last episode of 2024 available later this month at hrbtexpansion.org/podcasts, Apple, or Spotify.

HRBT Expansion Unveiled

All year long the HRBT Expansion Project has captured behind-the-scenes constructions footage, unveiling the massive progress happening beyond the visible roadway.

From Mary’s intense first breakout and the innovative U-turn that shortly followed, to the latest phase of the North Island expansion and how the beam launcher makes trestle construction more efficient, these videos showcase it all!

Plus, the spring and fall tour updates give viewers exclusive insight covering the entire corridor.

Get ready for a full recap of 2024 in the January edition of the HRBT Expansion newsletter.

Check out the HRBT Expansion Project Magazine for a biannual update on project-wide progress, engineering marvels, and the people driving this transformative project forward every day. 

Traveling with others this holiday season? Give yourself the gift of toll-free driving in the Hampton Roads Express Lanes by getting an E-ZPass Flex transponder. Whether you’ll be using the future Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Express Lanes once they’re completed or the Chesapeake and Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes operational now, the E-ZPass Flex transponder is required for vehicles with two or more occupants (HOV-2) to be able to travel toll-free.

An E-ZPass transponder is required for all vehicles using the Hampton Roads Express Lanes. While solo drivers may use either the standard E-ZPass transponder or the E-ZPass Flex to pay the dynamic toll to use the Express Lanes, the E-ZPass Flex transponder is the only version that includes the necessary switch to flip to “HOV-On” to use the Express Lanes toll-free when traveling with two or more occupants. The transponder works the same as a standard E-ZPass on all other roads.

To get an E-ZPass Flex transponder or to exchange your standard E-ZPass for an E-ZPass Flex, visit ezpassva.com, call 1-877-762-7824, or visit an E-ZPass Customer Service Center for more information. When exchanging for an E-ZPass Flex, you will have to return your current transponder by mailing it or dropping it off at an E-ZPass Customer Service Center. New customers can also pick up an E-ZPass transponder through participating retailers, found at www.ezpassva.com/locations.

As for the E-ZPass itself, there is no cost for the transponder. The $35 you pay for an E-ZPass On-the-Go is entirely credited to your E-ZPass account to cover future tolls, with $15 immediately available for use in Virginia. There are no additional fees for the transponder beyond what is used for tolls, and for drivers who meet the HOV-2 occupancy requirements, the Express Lanes remain toll-free with an E-ZPass Flex. For more information on E-ZPass, visit https://www.ezpassva.com/about.

To learn more about the Hampton Roads Express Lanes network, visit www.64expresslanes.org.