It's The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel's 60th birthday.

 

(Shore Daily News)

The CBBT opened to traffic on April 15, 1964. The bridge at the time was considered to be one of the 7 engineering wonders of the modern world. 

(View news story:)

CBBT opened 60 years ago today - Shore Daily News

 Anonymous said...

The untold story...The Bridge-Tunnel Commission financed this project by issuing about $200 million in tax free bonds. By 1970 they defaulted on about $100 million of the bonds, many of which were held by local residents, including my grandparents.

What's this?

 (Eastern Shore post picture)

Work is proceeding on the new tunnel of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  The mile-long tunnel will carry two southbound traffic lanes.  Completion is scheduled for 2027.  

Meet "Chessie"

What's this? It's Chessie, the newly named tunnel-boring machine to be used in the new Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel construction project.

Picture and below info from shoredailynews.com

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (“CBBT”) and its partners on the Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel Project are excited to announce the winning name for the tunnel boring machine: CHESSIE!

The winning entry was submitted by Grace Bentley of Nandua Middle School, located in Onley, VA.

According to the video entry, “Chessie” was a natural choice, founded on the legend of the sea monster who lives deep within the Chesapeake Bay. Sailors who have spotted this creature describe Chessie as a long, snake-like creature, so it is analogous to the 325-foot long TBM that will dig its way through the Bay bottom. The name has remained popular in the Chesapeake Bay region over the years and personifies many things, including boats, trains, trails and animals.

The winning name will be displayed on the side of the TBM during the launching ceremony which is anticipated to take place in 2019.

In late March, a Review Committee selected the Top 10 names from more than 120 entries received from 6th grade students from Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News and the Eastern Shore.   The Review Committee was comprised of representatives from the Project partners: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Commission; Chesapeake Tunnel Joint Venture; Jacobs; Mott MacDonald; HNTB; and Women’s Transportation Seminar, Hampton Roads Chapter.

On-line voting began Monday, April 2 and ran through Friday, April 13 at 4:30 pm EST. The top 10 essays and video as presented by the 6th grade students were made available on the CBBT’s website and the public was invited to vote for their favorite entry.

Naming a tunnel boring machine (TBM) with a female name dates back to early mining traditions, when miners looked to Saint Barbara to protect them as they worked underground.   The naming of the machine in advance of it beginning to work is a sign of good luck for the project ahead.

Second place winner was BESSY the Boring Bufflehead, submitted by Caleb McIntyre of Broadwater Academy and third place winner was MS. TAYLOR, submitted by Shania Finley of Kiptopeke Elementary School.

Each of the winning submissions are available for public view at www.cbbt.com/TBMNamingContest/.

“Every student who participated in this naming contest is to be commended, as their entries expressed a lot of thought and creativity,” stated Jeff Holland, Executive Director for the CBBT. “The Commission extends congratulations to the winners and we appreciate the excellent effort invested by all students to take part in this unique opportunity. We look forward to the students, teachers, and their classes continuing to follow the progress of this tunnel project until it is completed.”

Southbound Lanes CLOSED

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL  - Southbound lanes at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel are closed.

Police are inspecting the span after a barge hit the bridge around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Traffic is alternating (northbound and southbound) in the northbound lanes.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Police did not have a time for when the 3-mile chunk of southbound 13 would reopen.

No injuries were reported

Source;  http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/barge-hits-bridge-at-cbbt

Barge Collides With Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

VIRGINIA BEACH

A barge collision shut down northbound traffic on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Monday.

About 6:30 p.m. a 140-foot-by-40-foot barge loaded with rocks for an on-going construction project at the bridge came loose from its mooring at the west end and struck the bridge between the two tunnels, said Tom Anderson, deputy director of the facility.

Northbound traffic was halted while the barge was secured and workers could inspect the damage to the bridge. In the meantime, northbound traffic that was stuck at the bridge had to be turned around.

It took about two hours to secure the barge and tow it away. About that time, bridge-tunnel personnel began alternating traffic on the southbound span to help move motorists who were stuck waiting on the northbound side.

The inspection revealed that the bridge sustained only some minor damage. A few pieces of concrete were knocked off a pile of rocks at the bottom of one part of the bridge. Other piles only had scrape marks.

All lanes of traffic reopened before midnight.

The barge was there as part of an on-going project to lay rocks along the bed of the Bay to support the bridge. It was unknown how the barge came loose from its mooring.

Source;    http://hamptonroads.com/node/604454

SUV Goes Off Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

VIRGINIA BEACH A sport-utility vehicle went off the side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Tuesday morning.

Emergency crews are on the scene, and all southbound traffic from the Eastern Shore has been stopped.

Debbie Cooley, spokeswoman for the bridge-tunnel administration, said the vehicle - identified by the U.S. Coast Guard as a silver-colored SUV - went into the bay around 8:25 a.m. She said the motorist was traveling southbound and had passed through the tunnel closest to the Eastern Shore. The SUV went off the side of the bridge near the 8-mile marker.

Crews are on scene trying to locate the vehicle in the water. In addition to the bridge-tunnel's own crew, the search effort includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the Virginia Marine Police, the police and fire departments from Virginia Beach, and other agencies.

Police spokesman Adam Bernstein said investigators believe there were two occupants in the vehicle.
Source: http://www.dailypress.com/

Wind Restrictions At Bay Bridge Tunnel

Wind restrictions on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel have been lifted.


As of 6 AM there were Level 2 wind restrictions posted at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
The following types of vehicles are not allowed to cross:

- motorcycles

- large pick-up campers

- camper trailers

- house trailers

- anything being towed

- vehicles with exterior cargo or anything being towed

- empty tractor-trailers, not including empty tanker trucks

- small, six-wheel trucks

Tractor trailers must gross 30,000 pounds of payload in addition to the rigs weight, according to the facilitys Web site. Six-wheel trucks must gross 15,000 pounds of payload in addition to the weight of the rig.

Tractors without trailers will be allowed to cross the span, the site says.
http://www.shoredailynews.com/