Open symbolOpen
×

Explore CBBT

Your Adventure Begins Here. Follow the Gulls.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel has led travelers on adventure for over 50 years. Let us help guide you on your next journey.

An Engineering Marvel.
A Breathtaking journey.

The Bridge-Tunnel project is a four-lane 20-mile-long vehicular toll crossing of the lower Chesapeake Bay. The facility carries US 13, the main north-south highway on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and provides the only direct link between Virginia’s Eastern Shore and south Hampton Roads, Virginia.

The crossing consists of a series of low-level trestles interrupted by two approximately one-mile-long tunnels beneath Thimble Shoal and Chesapeake navigation channels. The manmade islands, each approximately 5.25 acres in size, are located at each end of the two tunnels. There are also high level bridges over two other navigation channels: North Channel Bridge and Fisherman Inlet Bridge.

Finally, between North Channel and Fisherman Inlet, the facility crosses at-grade over Fisherman Island, a barrier island which includes the Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge administered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Toll collection facilities are located at each end of the facility.

 

Facts for your Trip.
Did You Know?
fact #1
Official Name:

Lucius J. Kellam, Jr. Bridge-Tunnel

fact #2
Operated by:

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission

fact #3
Route:

US 13 connecting Virginia Beach/Norfolk to Virginia’s Eastern Shore

fact #4
Total Length (including approach roads):

23 miles

fact #5
Length (Toll Plaza to Toll Plaza):

20 miles

fact #6
Length (Shore to Shore):

17.6 miles

fact #7
Depth of water along Route:

25 to 100 feet

fact #8
Awards:

*American Society of Civil Engineers 1965 award for “Outstanding Engineering Achievement”
*Designated “One of Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World” in 1965

fact #9
Opening Date:

-Northbound: April 15, 1964
-Southbound: April 19, 1999

fact #10
Built by:

-Northbound: Tidewater Construction, Corp.; Merritt, Chapman, Scott; Raymond International; and Peter Kiewitt & Sons, Inc. (TMRK); American Bridge Co.
-Southbound: PCL/Hardaway/Interbeton, A Joint Venture (PCL Civil Constructors, Inc.; The Hardaway Company; and Interbeton, Inc.)

fact #11
Building Time:

-Northbound: 42 Months – Construction began on September 7, 1960, and the project was opened to traffic on April 15, 1964.
-Southbound: 46 months – Construction began June 16, 1995, and the project was opened to traffic on April 19, 1999.

fact #12
Total Cost:

-Northbound: $200,000,000 financed by the sale of revenue bonds. No tax dollars were used.
-Southbound: $250,000,000 financed by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District and the sale of revenue bonds. No tax dollars were used.

fact #13
Construction Features:

12 miles of low-level trestle, 2 one-mile-long tunnels, 2 bridges, 2 miles of causeway, 4 manmade islands and 5-1/2 miles of approach roads.

fact #14
Trestles:

-Length 12.3 miles
-Northbound width 28 feet curb-to-curb
-Southbound width 36 feet curb-to-curb

fact #15
Concrete Piles to Support Trestles and Fisherman Inlet Bridge:

-Northbound: 2,656
-Southbound: 2,149

fact #16
Tunnels (Trench Type):

-Thimble Shoal Tunnel: 5,552 feet in length, portal to portal
-Chesapeake Channel Tunnel: 5,237 feet in length, portal to portal

Construction is underway on a parallel tunnel at Thimble Shoal Channel. Click here for more information.

fact #17
Tunnel Clearances:

24 feet horizontal; 13 feet 6 inches vertical

fact #18
North Channel and Fisherman Inlet Bridges:

-North Channel (northbound): 3,798 feet in length; 75 feet vertical clearance; 300 feet horizontal clearance
-North Channel (southbound): 3,100 feet in length; 75 feet vertical clearance; 300 feet horizontal clearance
-Fisherman Inlet (northbound): 457 feet in length; 40 feet vertical clearance; 110 feet horizontal clearance
-Fisherman Inlet (southbound): 460 feet in length; 40 feet vertical clearance; 110 feet horizontal clearance

fact #19
Islands:

Four manmade islands each with approximately 5.25 acres of surface, 30 feet above water

fact #20
Rock Armor for Manmade Islands:

1,183,295 tons

Explore Careers

We employ dedicated people who meet the challenge of customer service.

Employment Opportunities