Flatiron Helps Make History in Virginia

$3.8 billion Hampton Roads Project Breaks Ground

For decades, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), has had the reputation as one of the top three most congested areas in the state of Virginia. At times, backups often exceed six miles, resulting in unreliable travel times, dangerous evacuation situations and hindered access for emergency responders.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on October 29 to mark the start of a project that will widen the current four-lane segments of the 1-64 HRBT corridor in Norfolk and Hampton, and bore new twin tunnels.

Participating in the groundbreaking along with other leaders of the partner construction companies, Kevin Powell, Flatiron Senior Vice President and East Coast Division Manager, noted that

“Flatiron welcomes the challenge of helping transform this vital infrastructure. The team brings together the skill, innovation expertise and technical acumen required to successfully complete this monumental project. By easing traffic congestion and improving travel time reliability, we’ll improve the lives of people in this beautiful community.”

An important artery connecting the cities of Hampton and Norfolk, as many as 100,000 travelers per day rely on the bridge-tunnel for transportation.

The HRBT Expansion Project was awarded to the Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP) in early 2019. Following a year of planning and preparation, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) granted the team the formal “Notice to Proceed” (NTP) in September 2020.

Joining Flatiron in the HRCP Joint Venture Group are Dragados USA, Vinci Construction, Dodin Campenon Bernard and designers HDR and Mott MacDonald.

“Folks in this region deserve an easier, more reliable commute,” said Governor Northam. “This is the largest project in our history, and it will ensure that people can move around faster, that commerce flows more easily, and that we finally connect the Peninsula and the Southside. This project will make everyone’s lives easier when it is completed.”

“The world’s best designers, builders, engineers, and technology are converging here in Virginia to build your new tunnel,” said Secretary Valentine. “We are bringing every asset to the table to give people what they may value most—time.”

The expansion will add two lanes on each side of the structure. Each tunnel will be approximately forty-five feet wide, creating the second largest tunnel opening in North America and doubling the capacity of the bridge-tunnel.

A detailed explanation of the history of the roadway and the expected outcome of the project can be found at https://www.pilotonline.com/news/transportation/vp-nw-hrbt-expansion-20201030-skgypmkyjfedtiwuj3ofdfxcni-story.html.

To view employment opportunities at HRBT, please visit www.flatironcorp.com/careers.

For more frequent updates on the progress at Hampton Roads, visit https://www.hrbtexpansion.org/ or download “HRBT Tunnel Talk,” a podcast sponsored by VDOT and solely dedicated to providing information on the project and its progress. The podcast can be downloaded by visiting https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hrbt-tunnel-talk/id1485424828.