The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel spans 17.6 miles from Fisherman Island to Virginia Beach. The northbound original crossing cost $137M, took 42 months to build, and opened April 15, 1964. The southbound parallel crossing cost $250M, took 46 months to build, and opened April 19, 1999. The route includes support trestles carried by 2,523 piles on the northbound crossing and 2,591 piles on the southbound crossing, across water depths ranging from 25 to 100 feet. Its tunnels are 1 mile long each. A parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel was projected at $850M with estimated project completion in 2023, and a parallel Chesapeake Channel Tunnel was planned for the future. No local, state, or federal tax money was used to operate or maintain the facility.
