Crews of workers from Spain who have dug an 8,000-foot tunnel under Hampton Roads for the past year waved Spanish flags and cheered from the top of a huge pit on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel’s north island.
First, moisture started seeping through tiny cracks in the concrete wall. Then, a larger crack formed and water poured through.
Then, after a few seconds more of the crackling sound, a three-story tall circular section of concrete fell with an earth-shaking thud. Water used to cool the 430-foot long boring machine, nicknamed Mary, poured out as the massive drill broke through concrete and into fresh air for the first time in a year.
“I think what we just heard was the boom heard round Hampton Roads,” said project manager Ryan Banas. “We’ve been waiting for this for almost 30 years, since the early '90s. It’s a halfway point for us.”
Wednesday’s breakthrough was marked with celebration, but moments later, the small crowd dispersed and went back to work.
During the next five months, Mary will execute the world’s longest three-point turn. Then, she’ll dig her way back to the Norfolk side, leaving two fresh tunnels to double the HRBT’s capacity once the bridge and road work is done.
The Virginia Department of Transportation announced last month that finishing the expansion project will take longer than originally planned.
Initially slated to wrap up at the end of next year, VDOT now expects work to continue until at least the fall of 2026.