View source for Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel

{{Short description|Bridge–tunnel spanning the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia}}
{{Distinguish|Chesapeake Bay Bridge}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox bridge
| bridge_name = Chesapeake Bay Bridge – Tunnel
| image = 2017-07-12 11 23 10 View south along U.S. Route 13 (Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel) crossing the North Channel of the Chesapeake Bay in Northampton County, Virginia.jpg
|image_size=300px
| caption = Coming down from the high-level portion near the north end
| official_name = Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge–Tunnel
| also_known_as = 
| carries = 4 lanes (4 on bridges, 2 in tunnels) of {{jct|state=VA|US|13}}
| crosses = [[Chesapeake Bay]]
| locale = [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]] and [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Chesapeake, Virginia|Chesapeake]], [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]] to [[Cape Charles (headland)|Cape Charles]], Virginia, U.S.
| maint = [[Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission]]
| id = 
| design = [[Fixed link]]: low-level [[Trestle bridge|trestle]], 2 single-tube tunnels connected by artificial islands, [[truss bridge]]s, high-level [[Trestle bridge|trestle]]
| mainspan = 
| length = {{cvt|17.6|mi|km}}<ref name=facts>{{cite web |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel Facts |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission |url=http://www.cbbt.com/facts.html |access-date=November 23, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428072417/http://www.cbbt.com/facts.html |archive-date=April 28, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| width = 
| clearance = 
| below = {{cvt|75|ft|m|1}} (North Channel)<br />{{cvt|40|ft|m|1}} (Fisherman Inlet)
| traffic = 
| open = {{start date and age|1964|Apr|15}} (northbound)<br />{{start date and age|1998|Apr|19}} (southbound)
| closed = 
| toll = Cars $16 (Each direction & off-peak. $18 Peak. Round trip discount available.) [[E-ZPass]]
| map_cue = 
| map_image = 
| map_text = 
| map_width = 
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q1070563|display=inline}}
}}

The '''Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel''' ('''CBBT''', officially the '''[[Lucius J. Kellam Jr.]] Bridge–Tunnel''') is a {{Convert|17.6|mi|km|adj=on}} [[bridge–tunnel]] that crosses the mouth of the [[Chesapeake Bay]] between [[Delmarva Peninsula|Delmarva]] and [[Hampton Roads]] in the U.S. commonwealth of [[Virginia]]. It opened in 1964, replacing ferries that had operated since the 1930s. A major project to [[Dual carriageway|dualize]] its bridges was completed in 1999, and in 2017 a similar project was started to dualize one of its tunnels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tunnel Project — CBBT |url=https://www.cbbt.com/news/ptstprojectupdate/ }}</ref>

With {{convert|12|mi|km}} of bridges and two {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=mid|-long|spell=in}} [[tunnel]]s, the CBBT<ref name="facts" /> is one of only 14 [[List of bridge–tunnels|bridge–tunnel systems]] in the world and one of three in Hampton Roads. It carries [[U.S. Route 13|US 13]], which saves motorists roughly {{convert|95|mi|km}} and {{frac|1|1|2}} hours on trips between Hampton Roads and the [[Delaware Valley]] and points north compared with other routes through the [[Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area|Washington–Baltimore Metropolitan Area]]. {{As of|2021|1}}, over 140 million vehicles have crossed the CBBT.<ref name="history">{{cite web |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel History |url=http://www.cbbt.com/history.html |access-date=May 21, 2009 |work=Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel Commission |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117063145/http://www.cbbt.com/history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The CBBT was built and is operated by the [[Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District]], a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia governed by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission in cooperation with the [[Virginia Department of Transportation]]. Its construction was financed by [[toll revenue bond]]s, while operating and maintenance expenses are recovered through [[toll road|tolls]]. In 2002, a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) study commissioned by the [[Virginia General Assembly]] concluded that "given the inability of the state to fund future capital requirements of the CBBT, the District and Commission should be retained to operate and maintain the Bridge–Tunnel as a toll facility in perpetuity".

The tunnel sections addressed concerns that a bridge failure across critical shipping lanes would block not only shipping but navy access.

A similarly named [[Chesapeake Bay Bridge]] crosses the Chesapeake Bay farther north in Maryland connecting [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]] and [[Kent Island (Maryland)|Kent Island]].

==History==

===Geographic background===
In December 1606, the [[London Company|Virginia Company]] of London sent an expedition to North America to establish a settlement in the [[Colony of Virginia]]. After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from England, they reached the New World at the southern edge of the mouth of what is now known as the [[Chesapeake Bay]].<ref>{{cite thesis |first=Lisa L. |last=Weaver |title=Learning Landscapes: Theoretical Issues and Design Considerations for the Development of Children's Educational Landscapes |publisher=[[Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University]] |url=http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34095 |access-date=September 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205142644/http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07212000-20040009/unrestricted/part3of4.pdf.pdf |archive-date=February 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |date=June 8, 2000 |hdl=10919/34095 |type=Thesis }}</ref> They named the two flanking Virginia points of land /capes like gateposts at the entrance to the long extensive estuary after the sons of their king, [[James I of England|James I]], the southern [[Cape Henry]], for the eldest and presumed heir, [[Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales]], and the northern [[Cape Charles (headland)|Cape Charles]], for his younger brother, [[Charles I of England|Charles, Duke of York]] (the future King Charles I). A few weeks later they established their first permanent settlement on the southern, mainland, side of the bay, several miles upstream along the newly named [[James River (Virginia)|James River]] at [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]] on the northern shore on a close-in island for protection, the first permanent settlement in [[British America|English North America]].

Across the bay, the area north of Cape Charles was located along what became known later as the [[Delmarva Peninsula]]. As it bordered the Atlantic Ocean to its east, the region became known as Virginia and neighboring [[Maryland]]'s [[Eastern Shore of Virginia|Eastern Shore]]. As the entire colony grew, the bay was a formidable transportation obstacle for exchanges with the Virginia mainland on the Western Shore. One of the eight original [[shires of Virginia]], [[Accomac Shire]] was established there in 1634, eventually becoming the two counties of modern times, [[Accomack County, Virginia|Accomack County]] in the north and [[Northampton County, Virginia|Northampton County]] to the south. In comparison to mainland regions, commerce and growth was limited by the need to cross the Bay. Consequently, little industrial base grew there, with the oceanfront peninsula staying predominantly rural with small towns and villages oriented towards life on the waters, and most residents made their living by farming and working as watermen, both on the bay (locally known as the "bay side") and in the Atlantic Ocean ("sea side").

===Ferry system===
For the first 350 years, ships and ferry systems provided the primary transportation.

From the early 1930s to 1954, the Virginia Ferry Corporation (VFC), a privately owned [[public service company]] managed a scheduled vehicular (car, bus, truck) and passenger ferry service between the Virginia Eastern Shore and [[Princess Anne County, Virginia|Princess Anne County]] (now part of the City of Virginia Beach) on the mainland Western Shore in the [[South Hampton Roads]] area. This system, connecting portions of [[U.S. Route 13 in Virginia|US&nbsp;13]], was known as the [[Little Creek-Cape Charles Ferry]]. In 1951, the northern terminus in Delmarva was relocated to a location now within [[Kiptopeke State Park]].

Despite an expanded fleet of large and modern ships by the VFC in the 1940s and early 1950s which were eventually capable of as many as 90 one-way trips each day, the crossing suffered delays due to heavy traffic and inclement weather.

In 1954, the [[Virginia General Assembly]] created a [[political subdivision]], the Chesapeake Bay Ferry District and its governing body, the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Commission. The commission was authorized to acquire the private ferry corporation through bond financing, to improve the existing VFC ferry service.

When the CBBT opened, much of the ferry equipment and vessels used by the Little Creek-Cape Charles Ferry VFC service was sold and moved north to be redeployed to start the [[Cape May–Lewes Ferry]] across the {{convert|17|mi|km|adj=on}} mouth of the [[Delaware Bay]] between [[Cape May, New Jersey]] and [[Lewes, Delaware]]. It still serves transit needs, but the number of pleasure trip passengers increased as the coastal beach resorts developed and grew crowded with vacationers in the next decades, partly due to the improved swifter transportation with highway, bridge, and tunnel access in the region of three states.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmlf.com/History |title=History |publisher=Cape May-Lewes Ferry |date=February 6, 1963 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404041615/http://www.cmlf.com/History |archive-date=April 4, 2009 }}</ref>

===Studying a fixed crossing===
[[File:AerialviewoftheentrancetotheChesapeakeBayBridgeTunnel.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the Virginia Beach entrance to the bridge, facing east]]

In 1956, the General Assembly authorized the Ferry Commission to conduct feasibility studies for the construction of a fixed crossing. The conclusion of the study indicated that a vehicular crossing was feasible.<ref name="history"/>

Consideration was given to service between the Eastern Shore and both the peninsula and South Hampton Roads. Eventually, the shortest route, extending between the Eastern Shore and a point in [[Princess Anne County, Virginia|Princess Anne County]] at Chesapeake Beach (east of Little Creek, west of Lynnhaven Inlet), was selected. An option to also provide a fixed crossing link to Hampton and the peninsula was not pursued.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

The selected route crosses two Atlantic shipping channels: the Thimble Shoals Channel to Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Channel to the northern Chesapeake Bay. High-level bridges were initially considered for traversing these channels. The [[United States Navy]] objected to bridging the Thimble Shoals Channel because a bridge collapse (possibly by sabotage) could cut [[Naval Station Norfolk]] off from the Atlantic Ocean. [[Maryland]] officials expressed similar concerns about the Chesapeake Channel and the [[Port of Baltimore]].<ref name="Forster">{{cite web |last1=Forster |first1=Dave |title=Building the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel |url=http://www.pilotonline.com/app/media/content/pilotonline/2014/04/marvel/marvel.html |work=[[The Virginian-Pilot]] |access-date=January 25, 2016 |date=April 3, 2014 |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014122847/http://www.pilotonline.com/app/media/content/pilotonline/2014/04/marvel/marvel.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

To address these concerns, the engineers recommended a series of bridges and tunnels known as a [[bridge–tunnel]], similar in design to the [[Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel]], which had been completed in 1957, but on a considerably longer and larger facility. The tunnel portions, anchored by four artificial islands of approximately {{convert|5|acre|ha|spell=in}} each, would be extended under the two main shipping channels. The CBBT was designed by the engineering firm [[Leif J. Sverdrup|Sverdrup & Parcel]] of [[St. Louis, Missouri]].<ref name=Forster/>

===Original construction===
[[File:2017-07-12 11 34 35 View south along U.S. Route 13 (Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel) entering the north portal of the Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach, Virginia.jpg|thumb|left|View south entering the Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel]]{{More citations needed section|date=August 2017}}
In mid-1960, the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Commission sold $200 million in [[toll revenue bond]]s (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|.2|1960
|fmt=c|r=2}} billion in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars) to private investors, and the proceeds were used to finance the construction of the bridge–tunnel. Funds collected by future tolls were pledged to pay the principal and interest on the bonds. No local, state, or federal tax funds were used in the construction of the project.

Construction contracts were awarded to a consortium of Tidewater Construction Corporation and [[Merritt-Chapman & Scott]] Corporation. The steel superstructure for the high-level bridges near the north end of the crossing were fabricated by the [[American Bridge Company|American Bridge Division]] of [[United States Steel Corporation]]. Construction of the bridge–tunnel began in October 1960 after a six-month process of assembling necessary equipment from worldwide sources.

The tunnels were constructed using the technique refined by [[Ole Singstad]] with the [[Baltimore Harbor Tunnel]], whereby a large ditch was first dug for each tunnel, into which was lowered pre-fabricated tunnel sections cable-suspended from overhead barges. Interior chambers were filled with water to lower the sections, the sections then aligned, bolted together by divers, the water pumped out, and the tunnels finally covered with earth.

The construction was accomplished under the severe conditions imposed by [[nor'easter]]s, [[hurricane]]s, and the unpredictable Atlantic Ocean. During the [[Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962]], much of the partially completed work and a major piece of custom-built equipment, a pile driver barge called "The Big D", were destroyed. Seven workers were killed at various times during the construction. In April 1964, 42 months after construction began, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel opened to traffic and the ferry service discontinued.

The Ferry Commission and transportation district it oversees, created in 1954, were later renamed for the revised mission of building and operating the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel. The CBBT district is a public agency, and it is a legal subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The bridge–tunnel is supported financially by the tolls collected from the motorists who use the facility.
[[File:CargoshipscrossingtheChesapeakeBayBridgeTunnel.jpg|thumb|Cargo ships line up to cross the bridge–tunnel complex at night]]

Eastern Shore native, businessman, and civic leader [[Lucius J. Kellam Jr.]] (1911–1995) was the original commission's first chairman. In a commentary at the time of his death in 1995, the Norfolk-based ''[[Virginian-Pilot]]'' newspaper recalled that Kellam had been involved in bringing the multimillion-dollar bridge–tunnel project from dream to reality.

Before it was built, Kellam handled a political fight over the location, and addressed concerns of the [[U.S. Navy]] about prospective hazards to navigation to and from the [[Naval Station Norfolk|Norfolk Navy Base]] at [[Sewell's Point]].

Kellam was also directly involved in the negotiations to finance the ambitious crossing with bonds. According to the newspaper article, "there were not-unfounded fears that (1) storm-driven seas and drifting or off-course vessels could damage, if not destroy, the span and (2) traffic might not be sufficient to service the entire debt in an orderly way. Sure enough, bridge portions of the crossing have occasionally been damaged by vessels, and there was a long period when holders of the riskiest bonds received no interest on their investment."

An icon of eastern Virginia politics, Kellam remained chairman and champion of the CBBT throughout the hard times, and the bondholders were eventually paid as toll revenues caught up with expenses. He continued to serve until he was over 80 years old, finally retiring in 1993. He had held the post for 39 years.

The facility was renamed in Kellam's honor in 1987, over 20 years after it opened.

===Bridge dualization (1999)===
[[File:CBBT Info Sign.svg|left|thumb|Info sign at the rest area with map of new bridge]]{{More citations needed section|date=August 2017}}
At a cost of $197 million, new parallel two-lane [[Trestle bridge|trestles]] were built both to alleviate traffic and for safety reasons. Immediately after completion of the parallel trestles, traffic was diverted to them and the original trestles and roadway underwent a $20 million retrofit, repairing the wear and tear of 35 years of service and upgrading certain features, such as repaving the road surface. The older portion of the facility was then reopened on April 19, 1999.

The 1995–1999 project increased the capacity of the above-water portion of the facility to four lanes, added wider shoulders for the new southbound portion, facilitated needed repairs, and provided protection against a total closure should a trestle be struck by a ship or otherwise damaged (which had occurred twice in the past); partially for this reason, the parallel trestles are not located immediately adjacent to each other, reducing the chance that both would be damaged during a single incident.
{{Clear}}

===Thimble Shoal Tunnel dualization (projected 2028)===
[[File:2017-07-12 11 29 50 View south along U.S. Route 13 (Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel) exiting the south portal of the Chesapeake Channel Tunnel in Chesapeake Bay, Northampton County, Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|View south exiting the Chesapeake Channel Tunnel]]
In 2013, the CBBT Commission approved a project to construct a second tunnel under the Thimble Shoal channel for an estimated cost of $756&nbsp;million. The project received three bids, all of which would use a [[tunnel boring machine]]. The winning company was German-based [[Herrenknecht]], whose machine was {{cvt|325|ft|m}} long. The machine, nicknamed ''Chessie'' in a naming contest, was capable of moving forward through soil at {{cvt|2.4|in|mm}} per minute, or about {{cvt|50|ft|m}} per day. At that rate, it was estimated that the tunnel would be dug within about one year. Construction work began in 2017 to prepare the location of the tunnels. The affected pier, shop, and restaurant were closed in September 2017. The machine was built in 2018, after some delays, and was shipped to Virginia. After boring, the machine will also be adding the circular concrete segments which will be delivered into the tunnel via mine cars one at a time. Construction was scheduled to finish in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 6, 2017 |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel restaurant, gift shop closing for good |publisher=[[WVEC-TV]] |location=Hampton, Virginia |url=https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/eastern-shore/chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-restaurant-gift-shop-closing-for-good/471354810 |access-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116164126/https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/eastern-shore/chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-restaurant-gift-shop-closing-for-good/471354810 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=September 21, 2018 |title=CBBT Tunnel Boring Machine Construction Completed |newspaper=Shore Daily News |url=https://shoredailynews.com/headlines/cbbt-tunnel-boring-machine-construction-completed/ |access-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116164116/https://shoredailynews.com/headlines/cbbt-tunnel-boring-machine-construction-completed/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rago |first=Gordon |date=February 15, 2019 |title=Project to expand Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is year behind schedule |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/news/transportation/article_97f0dfb4-3068-11e9-94c7-5babc05980a6.html |access-date=November 16, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Riley |first=Cindy |date=August 19, 2019 |title=Crews Prep for Virginia's New $756M Tunnel |publisher=Construction Equipment Guide |url=https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/crews-prep-for-virginias-new-756m-tunnel/45803 |access-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116164114/https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/crews-prep-for-virginias-new-756m-tunnel/45803 |url-status=live }}</ref> By August 2022, the second tunnel at Thimble Shoal had been delayed to 2027. As of 2025, now the project has been delayed to 2028. <ref>{{cite web |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel expansion reportedly 5 years behind schedule |website=13newsnow.com |date=August 19, 2022 |url=https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/eastern-shore/chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-thimble-shoals-5-years-behind-schedule/291-939b3622-8e6f-416b-8888-9983937cdbee |access-date=November 26, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911064920/https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/eastern-shore/chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-thimble-shoals-5-years-behind-schedule/291-939b3622-8e6f-416b-8888-9983937cdbee |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Jackson |first=Stefanie |title=New tunnel will be five years late |website=Eastern Shore Post |date=August 18, 2022 |url=https://www.easternshorepost.com/2022/08/18/new-tunnel-will-be-five-years-late/ |access-date=November 26, 2022 }}</ref>

* '''Tunnel length''': approximately {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}}
* '''Tunnel diameter''':
** Inner diameter: {{convert|39|ft|m}}<ref group=lower-alpha>Prior to roadway and support structure installation</ref>
** Outer diameter: {{convert|42|ft|m}}
* '''Construction cost:''' $755,987,318
* '''Construction method:''' Bored tunnel
* '''Construction start''' (estimate): October 1, 2017
* '''Construction completion''' (estimate): 2023
* '''Maximum tunnel depth'''
** Crown—at its deepest location (mid-channel): {{convert|105|ft|m}} below the water surface
** Invert—from the top of the roadway at its deepest location: {{convert|134|ft|m}} below the surface
* '''Soil removal''': the approximate amount of soil to be removed by the tunnel boring machine (TBM) is {{convert|500000|cuyd|m3}}.
* '''Concrete sections''': The tunnel will consist of approximately 9,000 individual concrete pieces. Approximately {{convert|42000|cuyd|m3}} of concrete will be needed to make the tunnel sections.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbbt.com/project-description/ |title=CBBT Project Description |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission |language=en-US |access-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816230548/http://www.cbbt.com/project-description/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Chesapeake Channel Tunnel dualization (projected 2035–2040)===
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2017}}
At the northern end, a parallel Chesapeake Channel Tunnel will be added to finish the entire length to become a four-lane highway from shore to shore. This project is marked to begin in 2035, which would possibly be open for traffic in 2040, assuming there are no setbacks or delays.

In 2021, the United States Department of Transportation loaned $338.6&nbsp;million to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel District through the [[Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act]], with funds provided by the [[Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act]]. The loan would help pay for the construction of both parallel tunnels.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ttnews.com/articles/usdot-approves-tifia-loan-chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-project |title=USDOT Approves TIFIA Loan for Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Project |date=December 6, 2021 |access-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105204747/https://www.ttnews.com/articles/usdot-approves-tifia-loan-chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-project |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Operations, maintenance, and regulations==
[[File:AerialviewoftheChesapeakeBayBridgeTunnel.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|One of the artificial islands making up part of the bridge–tunnel complex, seen from the air]]
[[Toll bridge|Toll]] collection facilities are located at both ends of the facility. Tolls are paid in each direction. As of 2024, the toll for cars (without trailers) traveling along the CBBT is $16 for off-peak or $21 for peak times (Friday through Sunday from May 15 to September 15). Should a car make a return trip within 24 hours of the first, the second trip across costs $6/$1 for off peak/peak season, but only with an EZ-Pass; cash or card payers must pay full fare. Motorcycles pay the same toll as cars without trailers. All other vehicles are charged based on size and purpose and are not subject to the return-trip discount.<ref name="tollrates">{{Cite web |date=November 14, 2023 |title=CBBTtollschedule2024FINAL.pub |url=https://www.cbbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CBBTtollschedule2024FINAL.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223103331/https://www.cbbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CBBTtollschedule2024FINAL.pdf |archive-date=February 23, 2024 |access-date= |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission }}</ref> All tolls must be paid either in cash, debit/credit card, by scrip tickets issued by the CBBT, or via [[E-ZPass]] [[electronic toll collection]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Ted |last=Shockley |title=A non-stop, no-cash bridge–tunnel trip? |newspaper=[[The Daily Times (Salisbury)|The Daily Times]] |location=Salisbury, Maryland |date=June 7, 2006 |url=http://www.delmarvanow.com/easternshore/stories/20060607/2291677.html |access-date=November 23, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625095310/http://www.delmarvanow.com/easternshore/stories/20060607/2291677.html |archive-date=June 25, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The bridge–tunnel began accepting [[Smart Tag]]/E-ZPass payments on November 1, 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel Announces the Opening of an E-ZPass Virginia Customer Service Center |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission |url=http://www.cbbt.com/ezpassofficerelease.html |access-date=October 7, 2007 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200948/http://www.cbbt.com/ezpassofficerelease.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=CBBT Commission Selects System Consultant for Electronic Toll Collection Project |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission |url=http://www.cbbt.com/etcconsultant.html |access-date=November 23, 2006 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200947/http://www.cbbt.com/etcconsultant.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

All toll lanes including E-ZPass-only lanes are gated for safety concerns and to turn around inadmissible vehicles. For example:<ref name="gates">{{cite web |title=Importance of Gated Lanes at the CBBT |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission |url=http://www.cbbt.com/gatedlanes.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207004100/http://www.cbbt.com/gated-lanes/ |archive-date=December 7, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Strong winds have blown over certain vehicles.<ref name = gates /> Therefore, some vehicles are banned when the wind speed exceeds {{convert|40|mph|km/h}}. Level 6 wind restrictions with hurricane-force winds (at least {{convert|70|mph|km/h}}, i.e., approaching the wind speed of a [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale|Category 1 hurricane]], which is at least {{convert|74|mph|km/h}}), and other inclement weather conditions ban all traffic.<ref>{{cite web |title=Weather |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission |url=http://www.cbbt.com/weather.html |access-date=November 17, 2008 |archive-date=November 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127193041/http://www.cbbt.com/weather.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Hazardous material]]s and [[compressed gas]] require various restrictions and inspections to safeguard the tunnels.<ref name = gates /><ref>{{cite web |title=Hazardous materials |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission |url=http://www.cbbt.com/hazmat.html |access-date=November 17, 2008 |archive-date=November 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108051353/http://www.cbbt.com/hazmat.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Both tunnels have a height limit of {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m}}. An [[oversize load|over-height truck]] in April 2007 severely damaged the tunnels. Repairs took three weeks.<ref name = gates />
* Should police activities, accidents, or closures stop traffic from moving freely, gates prevent drivers from entering and then being forced to either back up within the narrow space or to wait too long in the middle of the bridge–tunnel.<ref name = gates />

The bridge–tunnel management prohibits bicycles but offers a shuttle van for $15. Cyclists must call ahead.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bicycling and Walking in Virginia: General Information: Crossing the Waters |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]] |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-info.asp |access-date=November 17, 2008 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714232409/http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-info.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

It is mandatory that the bridge be checked and serviced every five years. Since servicing the bridge takes about five years, the process is a continuous cycle.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel |episode-link=List of Modern Marvels episodes#Season 7: 2001 |series=Modern Marvels |series-link=Modern Marvels |airdate=February 7, 2001 |season=7 |number=107 }}</ref>

The CBBT is the only automobile transportation facility in Virginia with its police department. By original charter from the state, it has authority to enforce the laws of Virginia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jlarc.state.va.us/Reports/rpt287.pdf |title=The Future of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel |work=House Document No. 18 |access-date=May 21, 2009 |page=53 |author=Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission of the Virginia General Assembly |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115161046/http://jlarc.state.va.us/Reports/rpt287.pdf |archive-date=January 15, 2009 }}</ref> Emergency call boxes are spaced at half-mile (0.8&nbsp;km) intervals.<ref name="cbbt brochure"/>

==Tourism==
[[File:FishingPierontheChesapeakeBayBridgeTunnel.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Sea Gull Pier on South Thimble Island, 2007]]
The CBBT promotes the bridge–tunnel as not only a transportation facility to tourist destinations to the north and south, but as a destination itself. For travelers headed elsewhere, the bridge–tunnel can save more than {{convert|90|mi|km}} of driving for those headed between [[Ocean City, Maryland|Ocean City, MD]]; [[Rehoboth Beach, Delaware|Rehoboth Beach, DE]], [[Fenwick Island, Delaware|Fenwick Island, DE]], and [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington, DE]] (and areas north) and the Virginia Beach area or the [[Outer Banks|Outer Banks of North Carolina]], according to the CBBT district. Unlike the Interstate Highways that travelers would avoid by taking the bridge–tunnel, the roads in the shortcut have traffic lights.<ref name="cbbt brochure">{{cite book |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel/Follow The Gulls |type=Brochure |edition=18th |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District |year=2007 }}</ref>

On the Delmarva peninsula to the north of the bridge, travelers may visit nearby [[Kiptopeke State Park]], [[Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge]], [[Fisherman Island (Virginia)|Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge]] (closed to the public), [[Assateague Island National Seashore]], NASA's [[Wallops Flight Facility]], campgrounds and other vacation destinations. To the south are tourist destinations around Virginia Beach, including [[First Landing State Park]], [[Norfolk Botanical Garden]], [[Virginia Beach Maritime Historical Museum]], [[Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum]], and the [[Virginia Aquarium|Virginia Aquarium and Maritime Science Center]].<ref name="cbbt brochure"/>

A scenic overlook is located at the north end of the bridge and was formerly located at South Thimble Island, near the south end. At South Thimble Island, passing ships may include U.S. Navy warships, nuclear submarines, and aircraft carriers, as well as large cargo vessels and sailing ships. A restaurant and gift shop on the island opened in 1964, along with the {{convert|625|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} Sea Gull Pier. Bluefish, trout, croaker, flounder, and other species have been caught from the pier. Since birds use the habitat created by the bridges and islands of the CBBT, birders have travelled to the bridge–tunnel to see them at South Thimble Island and the scenic overlook at the north end.<ref name="cbbt brochure"/> As part of the Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel twinning, the building housing the restaurant and gift shop closed and access to the pier was prohibited starting at the end of September 2017.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jordan |last=Pascale |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel restaurant shut down early. You can still see a sunset before the island closes. |url=https://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/cbbt-restaurant-gift-shop-closes-early-but-you-can-still/article_0d41e2a7-2d4e-54c3-bfe7-dede0176ddb9.html |work=The Virginian-Pilot |date=September 28, 2017 |access-date=October 1, 2017 |archive-date=October 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002021907/https://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/cbbt-restaurant-gift-shop-closes-early-but-you-can-still/article_0d41e2a7-2d4e-54c3-bfe7-dede0176ddb9.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The building will be demolished and not replaced, and the pier will reopen to the public at the end of the project in 2027.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jordan |last=Pascale |title=Dragados awarded $756 million contract for new tube of Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel |url=https://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/dragados-awarded-million-contact-for-new-tube-of-chesapeake-bay/article_93a52221-f545-5733-815e-056ac43cd1a5.html |work=The Virginian-Pilot |date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=August 9, 2017 |archive-date=August 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809173222/https://pilotonline.com/news/local/transportation/dragados-awarded-million-contact-for-new-tube-of-chesapeake-bay/article_93a52221-f545-5733-815e-056ac43cd1a5.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Dimensions==
Among the key features of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel are two {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on|spell=in}} tunnels beneath the Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels and two pairs of side-by-side high-level bridges over two other navigation channels: North Channel Bridge ({{cvt|75|ft|m|1|disp=or}} clearance) and Fisherman Inlet Bridge ({{cvt|40|ft|m|1|disp=or}} clearance). The remaining portion comprises {{convert|12|mi|km}} of low-level [[Trestle bridge|trestle]], {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} of [[causeway]], and four artificial islands.

The CBBT is {{convert|17.6|mi|km}} long from shore to shore, crossing what is essentially an ocean strait. Including land-approach highways, the overall facility is {{convert|23|mi|km}} long ({{convert|20|mi|km|disp=sqbr}} from toll plaza to toll plaza)<ref name="facts" /> and despite its length, there is a height difference of only {{convert|6|in|mm|spell=in}} from the south to north end of the bridge–tunnel.

Artificial islands, each approximately {{convert|5.25|acre|ha}} in size, are located at each end of the two tunnels. Between North Channel and Fisherman Inlet, the facility crosses at grade over [[Fisherman Island (Virginia)|Fisherman Island]], a [[barrier island]] that is part of the [[Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge]] administered by the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]].

The columns that support the CBBT's trestles—called piles—would stretch for about {{convert|100|mi|km}} if placed end-to-end, roughly the distance between New York City and Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.cbbt.com/forms/ftgbrochure08.pdf |title=Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel |year=2007 |access-date=May 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115144556/http://www.cbbt.com/forms/ftgbrochure08.pdf |archive-date=January 15, 2009 |edition=18th |type=Brochure |publisher=Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission }}</ref>

== Incidents ==
The CBBT has been closed three times for multiple days after being struck by watercraft:
* In December 1967, coal barge ''Mohawk'' broke anchor and struck the bridge, closing it for two weeks for repairs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.dailypress.com/2002/06/09/will-they-stay-standing/ |title=Will They Stay Standing? |work=tribunedigital-dailypress |access-date=November 1, 2017 |language=en |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107012808/http://articles.dailypress.com/2002-06-09/news/0206090101_1_new-bridges-sunshine-skyway-bridge-bridge-s-support-columns/2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1984/03/19/bay-tunnel-survives-dark-days/714bb32d-2ec3-42a5-9f54-d9b2857111b3/ |title=Bay Tunnel Survives Dark Days |last=Hamilton |first=Martha M. |date=March 19, 1984 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=November 1, 2017 |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107024904/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1984/03/19/bay-tunnel-survives-dark-days/714bb32d-2ec3-42a5-9f54-d9b2857111b3/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* On January 21, 1970, the [[USS Yancey (AKA-93)|USS ''Yancey'' (AKA-93)]], a United States Navy attack cargo ship carrying 250 people,<ref name=":0" /> was at anchor near the bridge–tunnel. During a gale with winds gusting in excess of {{Convert|50|mph|km/h}}, the ''Yancey'' dragged its anchors and hit the bridge stern first, knocking out a {{Convert|375|ft|m|adj=on}} segment of trestle. There were no vehicles on the bridge at the time of the impact, and no one was injured. During the 42 days it took to replace the damaged span,<ref name=":1" /> the Navy offered a free shuttle service for commuters using helicopters and [[Landing Craft Utility|LCU]]s.<ref>{{cite DANFS |title=Yancey |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/y/yancey.html |access-date=December 9, 2018 }}</ref>
* In 1972, the bridge was again impacted by a barge that had broken loose, closing it for two weeks while the span was repaired.<ref name=":1" />

Other, less significant strikes have caused shorter closures while the affected structures are inspected—most recently, a four hour closure after a barge strike in June 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.offshoreinjuries.com/2011/09/19/barge-strikes-chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-in-second-similar-accident/ |title=Barge Strikes Chesapeake Bay bridge–tunnel in Second Similar Accident |date=September 19, 2011 |publisher=Gordon, Elias & Seely |access-date=November 1, 2017 |language=en-US |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107023455/http://www.offshoreinjuries.com/2011/09/19/barge-strikes-chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-in-second-similar-accident/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{As of|2021|4}}, there have been 16 incidents of vehicles running off the bridge and into the water.<ref name="vpo-body-recovered">{{Cite news |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/news/vp-nw-trucker-found-20210409-vi26d7bnyjdcbokoopa5kxiun4-story.html |title=Body of driver whose truck plunged off Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel 3 months ago found on Outer Banks |access-date=April 8, 2022 |date=April 9, 2021 |work=[[The Virginian-Pilot]] |last1=Hampton |first1=Jeff |last2=Kimberlin |first2=Joanne |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911065001/https://www.pilotonline.com/2021/04/09/body-of-driver-whose-truck-plunged-off-chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel-3-months-ago-found-on-outer-banks/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2017, a truck plowed through the barriers into the sea below; the driver was rescued but died en route to the hospital.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82dMC5cHYiQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/82dMC5cHYiQ |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live |title=Driver dies after tractor-trailer goes over the side of the CBBT |date=February 10, 2017}}{{cbignore }}</ref> In December 2020, a dairy truck crashed through the guardrail near mile 14. Witnesses saw the driver drifting in the water—estimated to be about {{cvt|45|F}}—but were unable to rescue him. Despite an extensive search, he remained missing until April 2021, when his body washed up over {{cvt|100|mi}} south at [[Cape Hatteras National Seashore]] between [[Salvo, North Carolina|Salvo]] and [[Avon, North Carolina|Avon]].<ref name="vpo-body-recovered" /> A second truck following the dairy truck encountered strong wind gusts just prior to the accident that blew it into the other lane.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/virginia-beach/maryland-box-truck-driver-says-wind-could-have-been-a-factor-in-crash-tuesday-at-the-cbbt/ |work=[[WAVY-TV]] |date=January 2, 2021 |last=Toliver |first=Aesia |access-date=April 8, 2022 |title=Maryland box truck driver says wind could have been a factor in Tuesday crash at CBBT }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Transport|Engineering|Virginia}}
* [[Busan–Geoje Fixed Link]]
* [[Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge]]
* [[List of bridge–tunnels]]
* [[Øresund Bridge]]
* [[Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel}}
{{attached KML|display=inline,title}}
* {{Official website|http://www.cbbt.com}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041101085441/http://www.norfolkcvb.com/play/attr_2.cfm?psid=160 information from Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050104063125/http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp950928/09280001.htm Virginian-Pilot newspaper commentary on long-time CBBT Chairman Lucius J. Kellam Jr. at the time of his death in 1995]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041209044807/http://easternshore.fws.gov/Fisherman%20Island/FI%20Gen%20Info.htm Fisherman's Island National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100115155034/http://jlarc.state.va.us/reports/Rpt287.pdf General Assembly JLARC study of the CBBT in 2002]

{{Bridge–tunnels}}
{{Water Crossings in the Hampton Roads Region}}
{{Crossings navbox
|structure = Bridges
|place = [[Chesapeake Bay]]
|bridge = Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
|bridge signs = [[File:US 13.svg|20px|alt=|link=]]
|upstream = [[Chesapeake Bay Bridge]]
|upstream signs = [[File:US 50.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] [[File:US 301.svg|25px|alt=|link=]]
|downstream = Atlantic Ocean
|downstream signs = 
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel}}
[[Category:Chesapeake Bay]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1964]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1999]]
[[Category:Toll bridges in Virginia]]
[[Category:Toll tunnels in Virginia]]
[[Category:Bridge–tunnels in North America]]
[[Category:Cross-sea traffic ways in North America]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 13]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Virginia Beach, Virginia]]
[[Category:Transportation in Virginia Beach, Virginia]]
[[Category:Transportation in Northampton County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Tunnels completed in 1964]]
[[Category:Road bridges in Virginia]]
[[Category:Road tunnels in Virginia]]
[[Category:Immersed tube tunnels in the United States]]
[[Category:Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System]]
[[Category:Steel bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:Trestle bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in Virginia]]