NORFOLK, VA – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced the top three finalists and the winning name selected for the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) at a virtual ceremony on Feb. 24, 2021.
In collaboration with the Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP), VDOT held a contest to formally name the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that will be used to construct the new twin two-lane bored tunnels west of the existing tunnels. The contest was launched in October and opened to all middle school students in Hampton Roads.
Student entries included posters, brochures, essays, and videos. Entries were judged on the name submitted and relevance to the project and community, as well as the creativity and presentation of the submission.
First Place was awarded to students from Saint Gregory the Great Catholic School – Team Sancti Potentes in Virginia Beach. The student team submitted a video in the style of a newscast featuring the TBM. The team presented the name “Mary” for Mary Jackson – mathematician and aerospace engineer at NASA, noted for her pioneering role of an African American woman in the field of science and engineering, and her crucial contributions to the NASA Space Program. Additionally, Mary Jackson was from Hampton, Virginia, which the students pointed out as one of their reasons for selecting Mary as the name for the HRBT Expansion Project TBM.
Second Place was awarded to students from Crittenden Middle School in Newport News who submitted the name “Mary” as a brochure entry.
Third Place was awarded to students from Hunter B. Andrews PreK-8 in Hampton who submitted the name “TEO” for The Emancipation Oak as a brochure entry.
The Tunnel Boring Machine is being manufactured in Germany and will be used to excavate and construct the tunnels for the expansion project. The TBM has a 46-foot diameter cutter head that will excavate through soil under the James River, while concrete liners are set in place. The TBM will be a key component in the HRBT Expansion Project - the largest infrastructure project in Virginia history.
According to Jim Utterback, VDOT Project Director, “Our team received so many excellent entries, and we are impressed with the students understanding of the project and the creativity of their submissions.”
Hampton Roads Connectors Partners Project Executive Jose Martin Alos added, “It’s wonderful to involve students in our vision and gain their participation. We hope to encourage those in the STEM curriculum to pursue their career goals.”
Traditionally, a TBM is named before it begins any work as a sign of good luck for the project ahead. TBMs have been historically named after a woman, because tunnellers looked to Saint Barbara, the patron saint for military engineers and miners, for protection.
The winning team and finalists were honored through a virtual announcement ceremony on February 24, 2021. The ceremony was live streamed on the project website www.hrbtexpansion.org. The presentation of awards included remarks from the HRBT Expansion Team, as well as the winning student team.
Second and third place finalists received certificates and recognition for their participation in the contest. First place award winners received certificates and will be featured in the HRBT Expansion Magazine. They also have the honor of having the winning name “Mary” prominently displayed on the TBM which is slated to arrive on the South Island in Fall 2021.
