Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project behind by 18 months
The completion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project has been delayed by 18 months and isn’t expected until 2027, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced Thursday.
The more than $3.9 billion project will widen Interstate 64 from two to four lanes in each direction and construct two two-lane tunnels, doubling the road segment’s capacity. The project was expected to be completed in 2025.
But the Thursday announcement of the revised project schedule sets the substantial completion date for Feb. 26, 2027, and a final completion date for Aug. 27, 2027.
Despite the delays, VDOT said the project’s cost is expected to remain “nearly within the original budget.” VDOT spokesperson Ha Koehler explained the deparement already accounted for contingencies when the budget was being designed.
Delays first showed signs of affecting the project’s timeline in 2022, when officials said the work was running 11 months behind.
Hampton Roads Connector Partners — the design-build contractor — submitted documentation to VDOT in 2022 stating it had suffered unforeseen cost and schedule impacts since signing the contract in 2019.
Last year, HRCP submitted a formal “Request for Equitable Adjustment” seeking changes to the contract terms due to the alleged unforeseen circumstances. According to a news release from VDOT, the contractor requested more than 600 calendar days of extension and $996 million in relief from VDOT.
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Ultimately, VDOT revised its agreement with HRCP, establishing new deadlines and resetting the early completion incentive — which motivates the design-builder to complete the project ahead of schedule.
To receive the full amount of the early completion incentive of $90 million, HRCP must achieve substantial completion by Sept. 25, 2026, which would be a delay of only 13 months compared with the project’s original schedule.
VDOT said the modifications to the comprehensive agreement are intended to provide construction schedule certainty, enhance contractor schedule accountability and reduce the potential for litigation.
Despite the delay, VDOT’s Hampton Roads District Engineer Christopher Hall said much work has already been accomplished to date with the project, and that work on boring and building the first of the two new tunnels is almost complete.
“The contractor is making good progress and we’re being optimistic with this new change and providing some stability to them and also some certainty around our new schedule,” Hall said.
Once complete, VDOT says the expansion will ease major congestion and enhance travel time reliability.
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com