HAMPTON, Va. — The Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion Project is entering its last year of major construction — as one of its biggest stars is making its exit.
Six months after breaking through on the second of two new tunnels, the final piece of Mary, the massive tunnel boring machine, is being dismantled on the HRBT's South Island and shipped home. Mary has been on site since 2022.
"She has been the star of our show for so long, but now with her time here done, we get to move on," said Ryan Banas, the Virginia Department of Transportation's Project Director for the HRBT Expansion.
With Mary's work complete, the $4 billion expansion — the largest project in VDOT history — is now pushing toward its projected opening in the spring of 2027.
Both newly-bored tunnels are now in the "outfitting" phase, which Banas says means crews are getting them ready for cars to drive through.
"The roadway, the jet fans, the lighting, all those other safety features that allow us to eventually put traffic within the tunnel," Banas said.
As News 3 has been reporting for years, the additional tunnels are expected to take significant pressure off the existing crossings, with the goal of reducing the notorious backups that have long frustrated I-64 drivers trying to cross — be it for work, fun or travel.
In the meantime, drivers should expect changes in how they get across.
Banas says there will be several traffic shifts throughout the year — on the Norfolk side, the Hampton side, and along the crossing itself. As warmer weather brings increased vacation traffic to the area, conditions could get even tighter.
"This time of year especially, really just slow down, leave plenty of room," Banas said. "And the sooner that we can complete this, the sooner the public can use it and we all get home just a little bit quicker."
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