A 17-mile-long technical marvel in Virginia, the bridge-tunnel links the Atlantic Ocean to numerous ports along rivers and bays. It converts smoothly from a bridge to an underwater tunnel, fitting both automobiles and huge ships. This amazing building is crucial for marine trade and offers tourists an unforgettable experience. You’ll have breath-taking views of the surroundings as you cross the bridge in your car.
But once you get into the underwater tube, the true fun starts. You will go beneath the water’s surface and enter a fascinating underwater environment. As you go through the tunnel’s lengthy length, the beauty of its structure and lighting is enhanced. It combines the thrill of driving on a bridge with the mystery of exploring an underwater tunnel, making it a must-see destination for anybody travelling along the East Coast.
The American Society of Civil Engineers designated the $200 million building “one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world” after it was finished in 1964.
Two tunnels were built by digging enormous submerged ditches and lining them with rocks. The concrete tunnel’s blocked-off sections were subsequently lowered into the ditches. The workers then unplugged the tunnel components to make room for automobiles.
According to The Washington Post, the tunnels extend for nearly a mile under the Bay and are navigable by ships and boats. There are four artificial islands, each the size of a football field, that connect the bridge’s sections to the mile-long tunnels. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission estimates that the water is between 25 and 100 feet deep.
50 to 60 cars would load aboard ferries to travel over the water, with the Chesapeake Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, before the building was erected.
