The new Midtown Tunnel is currently under construction at Sparrows Point, MD, US. The tunnel is comprised of 11 concrete elements, which, once complete, will be towed down the Chesapeake Bay to the Project site in Portsmouth and moored at the Project site. Production of the remaining five tunnel elements is in progress. On end of January the fourth of eleven tunnel elements has been immersed: it’s the first tunnel element to be placed in the open waters of the Elizabeth River. The first three elements were placed in an excavated slot adjacent to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal on the Portsmouth side of the Elizabeth River.

A large specially-designed pontoon-style boat, known as a Lay Barge was used to move Element four into position in the river and lower it to the prepared river bed.

Placement of the remaining seven tunnel elements will continue from the Portsmouth side moving eastward across the Elizabeth River to Norfolk at the rate of approximately one every five weeks. Element five, one of three elements to be placed at the lowest point in the river, is currently scheduled for immersion in mid-February. The new Midtown Tunnel will become the westbound tunnel, carrying traffic from Norfolk to Portsmouth, and is scheduled for completion in December, 2016 .Click us/92 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit https://www.driveert.com/construction/midtown-tunnel/. 06/15.