ROADS/BRIDGES: Transportation board recommends HRBT expansion in Virginia
Oct. 21, 2016
The plan would expand the bridge-tunnel from a four-lane highway to a six-lane highway
The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization is recommending an expansion for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) in Virginia.
The plan, which would expand the HRBT from a four-lane highway to a six-lane highway, was one of four possible plans to ease congestion between the Peninsula and the Southside.
Other proposals included building connections between Route 164 in Portsmouth and I-564 in Norfolk, expanding I-664, and building a water crossing between I-564 and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel.
The proposal, known as "Alternative A," was the cheapest and smallest of the plans, costing $3.3 billion including a 40% contingency. Under the plan, the bridge-tunnel expansion would be completed by 2024.
The final decision will be made at a meeting this December by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
