CHESAPEAKE BAY, VA - An expansion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) reached a milestone this week with the tunnel boring machine “Chessie” breaking through to the end of its tunneling path.
Chessie’s mining journey began in February 2023 to carve a one-mile long, two-lane tunnel to allow for the construction of a new roadway connecting Virginia’s Eastern Shore to the mainland. According to officials with the CBBT, the new tunnel, known as the Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel, will carry two lanes of southbound traffic while the existing tunnel will carry two lanes of northbound traffic.
In May of 2023, officials say Chessie struck a large ship’s anchor during the tunneling project, leading to an eight-month delay to remove the obstruction. Mining resumed in May of 2024 and averaged 50 feet a day.
On January 27, Chessie broke through the end of the mining route, reaching a receiving pit on Two Island at Thimble Shoal Channel.
“Today marks a proud moment for the entire team involved in this project,” CBBT Commission Chairman Fred Stant said Monday. “The parallel tunnel is a key component of enhancing the safety and efficiency of this vital transportation link and demonstrates the CBBT Commission’s commitment to advancing infrastructure and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.”
The tunnel boring machine, nicknamed Chessie by then-6th grader Grace Bentley of Nandua Middle School, was designed and built in Germany. With a 43-foot cutterhead and a total length of 308 feet, Chessie removed about 500,000 cubic yards of soil and installed approximately 10,000 concrete segments.
The expansion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is currently expected to be completed by early 2028. A video of Chessie reaching the end of the mining route can be found here.