The Elizabeth River Tunnels (Downtown/ Midtown Tunnel) project consists of five construction components that involve three facilities in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Together, the project is known as the Elizabeth River Tunnels. The Part of the Midtown Tunnel consists of a new two-lane toll tunnel under the Elizabeth River, parallel to the existing Midtown Tunnel connecting the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, as well as modifications to the existing tunnel to create increased east-west traffic capacity connecting U.S. 58 and I-264 to Portsmouth with the Brambleton Avenue/Hampton Boulevard intersection. Changes have also been made to the junction. Planned improvements to the downtown tunnel have brought it into line with current fire safety and food safety standards. The MLK Extension Part of the project consists of an extension of Highway 58 south of London Boulevard, about 0.8 miles to L-264 with an intersection on High Street. The downtown and Midtown Tunnel rehabilitation project consisted of 15 projects to bring the tunnels back to NFPA 502 standards, plus: the agreement gave ERC the power to impose tolls on the road to recover the money they invested in the project. The ERC originally estimated that the toll rate was $2 to $3 (for cars), but[14] the overall agreement provided that tolls would begin with rates of $1.59/non-peak and $1.84/point for cars and $4.77/non-peak and $7.34 for heavy vehicles, and the additional eight years added to the dealership were added. [20] However, following a public outcry over the payments, new Governor Terry McAuliffe announced a new purchase of the $82.5 million toll by the completion of construction. This buydown reduced tolls to 75 cents/off peak and $1.00/peak for light vehicles and $2.25 at peak times or $4.00 at peak times for heavy vehicles.

According to Gov`s plan. McAuliffe, toll rates would increase by 25 cents per year until January 2017 or until the completion of the new Midtown Tunnel, and then return to the rates set out in the overall agreement. [21] [22] In 2006, hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization (DFO) (formerly a subcommittee of the HRPDC, now known as the Transportation Planning Organization) concluded that new tolls could help finance transportation projects removed from RTP 2026, including the Midtown Tunnel and the MLK extension. These include the tolling of the downtown parallel tunnel to establish a congestion management plan to prevent the diversion of the potential Midtown tunnel to a competing free facility. The two tunnels were initially billed (25 cents, both lanes) to repay their construction obligations. Both were liberated in the late 1980s after the opening of the second tunnel in the city centre (east). [1] Options included the addition of a 58-cent toll for the Midtown Tunnel (and a 19-cent toll for the MLK extension) that could bring in $427 million for the project; or the addition of a peak toll of $2.05/$1.50 outside peak periods for Midtown and a peak of $2.20/$1.60 outside the downtown tunnel, which could yield nearly $4.8 billion. [5] Based on this study, DFO added the projects to the 2030 RTP regions, which are now estimated at about $779 million – though the Virginia General Assembly approved the new tolls and several tax increases.

[6] However, under this agreement, the state`s consent can only be withheld if it finds that the sale itself is prohibited or that the new owners “have not been able to fulfill the obligations and obligations of the agreement” based on financial capacity and experience in the operation of toll roads.