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Mary's Milestones Delivering the HRBT twin bored tunnels

Mary, the tunnel boring machine, arrived with fanfare, performed flawlessly, and is preparing to head home to Germany. Mary's successful mission is a 2025 crowning achievement for the HRBT Expansion Project.

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HRBT new South Trestle bridge opening

November ushered in the opening of the South Trestle superstructure spanning between the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and the Norfolk shoreline. To learn more about the new mega trestle, listen to the latest HRBT Tunnel Talk podcast.

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Mary the TBM cutterhead lifted out of the HRBT South Island receiving pit

Mary the TBM’s cutterhead was lifted to the HRBT South Island to begin disassembly. She’ll be taken apart in pieces, packed and shipped back to her German manufacturer.

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Eyes in the sky

Ron Brown captures Virginia transportation history in the making each month for the HRBT Expansion Project.

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All eyes on Mary’s breakthrough

Federal, state and local leaders joined VDOT and HRCP staff to watch Mary, the Tunnel Boring Machine’s final breakthrough at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel on Sept. 24, 2025.

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Mary breakthrough ceremony videos

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 12:30 p.m. Mary made her final breakthrough for the HRBT Expansion Project.

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Welcome Center camp visitors

Summer camp is about more than fun and games for some Norfolk Public School students.

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Summer project tour

The HRBT Expansion Project director, Ryan Banas, provides the latest updates and progress across all areas of the project.

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Five-year success story: Bird monitoring at the HRBT Expansion Project

Sunshine, surf and favorite eating spots bring more than just tourists to Hampton Roads from April through September. That’s when nesting, state-threatened and migratory birds are active in and around the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

View video about bird monitoring

Preparing for another HRBT Expansion milestone!

Later this fall, two lanes of eastbound traffic will be shifted onto the new South Trestle superstructure. Click here to view details of the planned shift and related construction activity.

HRBT Project milestone: TBM turnaround

Mary, the tunnel boring machine, makes her state-of-the-art turnaround.

Mary breaks through!

Mary, the tunnel boring machine, has completed the first half of her mission to build two tunnels for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion, the largest highway project in Virginia history.

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HRBT Expansion Project

The US $3.9 billion HRBT Expansion is the largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history. The project partnership is 92% paid for by HRTAC with regional controlled funds and aims to ease congestion along a nearly 10-mile corridor on Interstate-64 through the addition of twin, two-lane bored tunnels under the harbor from Hampton to Norfolk and the widening of four-lane segments.