Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

It's been a few days since my last post because I have entered the dreaded Holiday Zone. I feel like December is this big flashy whirlpool of PARTY, and it's not just because of Christmas. Between Thanksgiving and the New Years our family also celebrates one anniversary, two birthdays, and two major holidays from two separate religions. Needless to say, very little actual schoolwork gets done. It's part of the reason we are a "year round" schooling operation. My kids get most of December off by default!

(by Bryant Arnold)

There is something completely unrelated to all of that that I wanted to share with you, because we knew nothing about it until we found it on the map and decided to check it out. It's on my mind because we drove over this major feat of human engineering last week... the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Now, if you live in Virginia this is probably very old news and feel free to stop reading now, but the first time we went over this thing I couldn't believe it. It really is a bridge... and a tunnel. It goes in this order: bridge... tunnel... bridge... tunnel... bridge.

All told, it spans 17.6 miles right across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. I should also remind you that the Chesapeake is the largest estuary in the United States and one of the most important. (We've come very close to killing this amazingly productive maze of marshes, oyster reefs and tidal rivers, but that is for another article.)

Each tunnel is a mile long and there is nothing quite as unnerving as looking ahead of you and seeing the road seem to suddenly stop. You are sure you are about to drive off into the water, but instead you head down into the tunnel. On a previous trip we dipped down into a tunnel just as a huge container ship passed overhead. It's pretty neat to think that you just drove under a 40 ton ship carrying the equivalent of up 15,000 trucks!


My husband likes to remind us of how much water is over our heads as we drive through, but most people would like to ignore that bit of information while in an under-water tunnel I'm sure!

The tunnel closest to Norfolk has a turn off and you can stop, have lunch at the Chesapeake Grill, and walk out to the end of the fishing pier. You are likely see a great many fishermen and fishing boats, and it's also a great place for watching the ships go by.
 

Birding is also terrific in and around the bridges, and on Fisherman Island Wildlife Refuge (although this Refuge is not open to the public). You'll see seagull after seagull lined up on the railings, resting or looking down at the fishing boats hanging out amongst the pilings. In the Fall you might also see Northern Gannets.


It costs $12 for your average car to cross it one way. They also have E-ZPass. If you are ever headed toward the eastern shore of Virginia or the DelMarVa peninsula, and don't mind heights, water or tunnels, you should check it out!