Completion of the launch shaft installation for the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel.
六菱ゴム
In Virginia, United States, the construction of a road tunnel using a shield machine (outer diameter φ13.21m) is underway, marking the first of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country. The shield launch shaft for this project has adopted our "RIPP Type-A+C" two-stage entrance seal device. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT), which opened in 1964, is a combined road (U.S. Route 13) consisting of a bridge and tunnel that spans 17.6 miles across Chesapeake Bay. In 1999, the bridge was expanded to two lanes to alleviate traffic congestion and ensure the safety of passing vehicles. Approximately one mile of underwater tunnel is planned to be constructed using a shield machine by the contractor Dragados USA-JV (commissioned by the state of Virginia) as part of the two-lane expansion of the tunnel section.
