PROJECT CONNECT
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel Project
January 2020
Mission: The Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel Project will construct a new two-lane tunnel under Thimble Shoal Channel.
When complete, the new tunnel will carry two lanes of traffic southbound and the existing tunnel will carry two lanes of traffic northbound.
Project Facts
Design-Build Contractor : Chesapeake Tunnel Joint Venture (CTJV), a joint venture comprised of Dragados USA and Schiavone Construction Company, LLC
Construction Cost: $755,987,318
Construction Method: Bored tunnel
Tunnel Length: approximately one mile
Tunnel Boring Machine: Chessie
Estimated Project Completion : 2023
What's New?
One Island
The "mass excavation" to create the launching pit for Chessie began in December. CTJV will excavate approximately 30,000 cubic yards of soil from One Island over the next few months. The excavation will be performed inside of the area contained by the slurry walls and retaining walls that have been installed over the past year. As part of the work, CTJV began the initial demolition of the existing retaining wall on the west side of the existing roadway. Removal of the existing retaining wall is necessary so that a new wall can be constructed to separate the future southbound lanes from the northbound lanes. Jet grouting is occurring in the area of excavation.
The project reached a milestone in December, as all slurry panels were completed on One Island. CTJV will now begin to move all necessary equipment to Two Island, where they will resume the installation of the slurry walls by the end of January.
Work is nearing completion on the temporary electrical substation at One Island, which will be used to power Chessie, the tunnel boring machine (TBM), as she begins to "tunnel" from One to Two Island. The power cord that will feed this substation is carried to One Island along A Trestle Southbound.

The temporary water treatment plant on the east side of One Island is complete. This water plant will clean the process water that is used during the operation of the TBM.

Marine work continues on the engineered berm off the north end of One Island and stone continues to be placed to provide sufficient cover and weight to allow Chessie to mine through and ensure the new tunnel is secure.
Two Island
Until recently, all efforts have been focused on One Island, as the work on that island is more critical to the timely completion of the Project. With the slurry panel walls now complete on One Island, CTJV will begin to transition to Two Island and resume slurry wall placement on this island. A work plan is also under development to isolate portions of the existing western approach wall with concrete barriers to allow for its demolition. This open approach will be similar to that which is already in place on One Island.
Precast Tunnel Liner Segments
At Concrete Systems, Inc. (CSI) in Chesapeake, VA, tunnel segment production is in full swing. On average, CSI is producing four complete rings a day. Each ring is comprised of nine large segments and one smaller segment, known as the "key." The segments will be stored on site at CSI until Chessie is constructed on One Island and the mining begins. More than 250 rings have been completed.