Dewberry Awarded Quality Assurance Contract for Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion

It has been announced by Dewberry that it will be providing QA (quality assurance) for the entire $3.8 billion HRBT (Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) project.

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel project is the greatest construction project in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) history and Virginia, and more than five years is expected from the project to be completed. At the moment, the I-64 HRBT is a 3.5-mile facility with two-lane tunnels connecting artificial islands with trestle bridges to shore. For easing the congestion and increasing the capacity, the team will construct twin two-lane bored tunnels. The tunnel construction will use a TBM (tunnel boring machine) method, and is going to be the fourth bored tunnel roadway project in the U.S.

It is expected from the project to enhance travel time reliability, improve safety, ease major congestion, increase capacity, support emergency evacuation, and update transportation management systems.

Dewberry Executive Vice President Dave Mahoney, PE said: “We are excited to provide QA services on the entire HRBT project,” He also added: “This design-build project requires a robust quality program and our team, working in collaboration with the tunnel contractor and VDOT, will help deliver a successful construction project. The two new tunnels and bridge/roadway improvements will have a huge impact on traffic safety and ease the congestion in such a populated area of Virginia.”

Simultaneously, the land and tunnel work will happen with the land work beginning in 2020 and tunneling expected to begin in 2022. Two years into the project, drilling under the water will happen 24 hours a day, requiring continuous oversight.

Source: Tunnel Business Magazine