CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) - Virginia is preparing to expand the tunnel that connects Hampton Roads to the state's Eastern Shore.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday that the $756 million project to expand the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel will be funded primary through federal and state bonds.
Workers will build an additional two-lane tunnel under the Thimble Shoal Channel, west of the existing bridge-tunnel. Construction is expected to begin next fall.
McAuliffe says the new tunnel will improve safety for travels and protect the "economic competiveness" of the Hampton Roads area.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission has financed the project through a $338.5 million federal bond, among other sources.
