NORFOLK, Va. — The first drivers are passing through a new Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel trestle. The opening is the first major piece of infrastructure the public is getting as part of a wider expansion project.
On Friday, drivers heading from Hampton towards Norfolk were shifted from the old eastbound lanes at Hampton shoreline to new ones just next door on the North Trestle. The first car crossed onto the new eastbound bridge at 1 a.m., VDOT says.
Hampton
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"Major, major milestone for us tonight," said Ryan Banas, project director for VDOT Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion Project. "We are so excited to be on the verge of opening up this brand new bridge."
The shift of lanes is so the old section can be demolished to finish widening the new structure.
"If we have done our job right, this will be a very smooth transition throughout," said Banas. "Your ride will be a little bit smoother because you'll be on the brand-new bridge surface. But other than that it should have minimal impacts to traffic other than that joy the first ride over a brand new bridge."
Watch related story: 'Mary the Tunnel Boring Machine' makes its debut at tunnel expansion ceremony
The trestle opening comes just a couple weeks after Mary the tunnel boring machine completed the first of two tunnels for the project.
It's all part of the largest project VDOT's constructed at $3.9 billion.
"We're going to be opening up communities much further up the peninsula for opportunities down here in Hampton Roads, as well as helping Naval Station Norfolk, the Port and other facilities be able to move through the area and the region freely really benefiting both the commuters, the public, those who work here, as well as commerce," said Banas.
If you're driving through the area Banas has some words of advice.
"As drivers go throughout our corridor tonight and any night, remember that you are driving through someone's office," said Banas. "There are folks that come out here to work every single day, hardworking folks, who just want to get home to see their families. We sit through the same traffic you do, we have the same headaches you do, we want to see this get constructed as quickly as possible. So the one thing I always ask of folks is put down your phones, focus on the road, and drive safely. If we do that, we're all going to have a better HRBT that much quicker."
