HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5145 Offered September 18, 2006 Requesting the Virginia Department of Transportation to study the desirability, feasibility, and cost of constructing two additional tunnel tubes parallel to the existing tunnel tubes of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel connecting the Cities of Hampton and Norfolk and expanding Interstate Route 64 on the Norfolk side to four lanes each way to the U.S. Route 60/Interstate Route 64 interchange. Report. ---------- Patron-- Gear ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, on many days, particularly on, before and following holidays, the volume of traffic using the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel exceeds the volume of traffic that the facility was designed to handle efficiently; and

WHEREAS, this traffic congestion not only inconveniences tourists and other visitors to Hampton Roads, but degrades the quality of life for those who live and work in the Hampton Roads region; and

WHEREAS, for some time, plans have been in place to address this congestion through the construction of another crossing from Norfolk International Terminals to Craney Island to the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel the construction of new facilities that would include construction of additional bridges and tunnels paralleling the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel and an additional facility linking the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel to the Norfolk Naval Base and Interstate Route 564 in the City of Norfolk; and

WHEREAS, proposals submitted to build the so-called Third Crossing under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 have since been withdrawn, and no other feasible method of financing this large and costly project has yet been discovered or agreed upon; and

WHEREAS, in the absence of any realistic prospect of constructing the so-called Third Crossing in the foreseeable future, it may be prudent to consider, instead, the less costly alternative of expanding the existing Hampton Road Bridge-Tunnel; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Virginia Department of Transportation be requested to study the desirability, feasibility, and cost of constructing two additional tunnel tubes parallel to the existing tunnel tubes of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel connecting the cities of Hampton and Norfolk and expanding Interstate Route 64 on the Norfolk side to four lanes each way to the U.S. Route 60/Interstate Route 64 interchange.

The Department shall complete its study in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2008 Regular Session of the General Assembly.  Such findings and recommendations shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports.