Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
4 reviews for Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
I've always wanted to get the chance to travel this bridge / tunnel. From everything I've heard about it over the years it seems to b be legendary -- and almost has made it seem to be its own municipality because of its shear size. Well finally got my opportunity the other day and it was quite remarkable to drive over -- maybe not as much as I was lead to believe but it was nice (and would have been nicer if the weather cooperated more). You get quite a view from the various spans. The pull-off about 11 miles across the 20+ mile span is worth a stop to take in the view from the fishing pier and take photos. The gift shop has snacks and various merchandise as you might imagine.
If you are thinking about taking the Chesapeake on your trip down from NY (or else where), expect a long ride down Route 13 throughout Delaware and part of Maryland. There are plenty of lights and a good deal of spots where police like to look for speeds as the speed limits change rapidly as you pass through the various small towns and villages as you drive. Also note, if you are a fan of old-style Americana style driving this is something you must drive as for much of Route 13 seem to have old style drive up restaurants, lots of antique stops and even places to get fireworks along the way. Much of this route is the "land that time forgot" (and thats not a bad thing).
Freaky engineering wonder of the world. When you approach the tunnel exits there is no horizon at some point so it looks very odd. I was a tad nervy on this 17 mile or so stretch of infrastructure. The tile-like walls in the tunnels seem old school, which is not good school when you are talking tunnel but I have to think the civil engineers who thought up this crazy pass knew what they were doing and hopefully were not doing it on the low bid. But nonetheless it was exciting and the views of the water water everywhere are cool. And then once you get across you can hang along the boardwalk at Virginia Beach and have a cool one and a soft-shell crab po-boy to calm your nerves if needed. It's worth the minimal toll just to say been there done that. And for engineering types it's a must.
20 some miles of bridge and tunnels...
I love this bridge / tunnel complex- I've lost count of how many times I've gone over it in the past 20 years, but I'm sure I must have paid for a least a few miles of blacktop by now.
This is the proverbial "shortcut" to Virginia Beach and the surrounding areas. It is not a shortcut to Richmond or any destination south of that along route 95.
The bridge is very much improved over how it used to be years ago- back about 10 years it was still only 2 lanes - one in each direction which made for some hair raising experiences in bad weather or at night when an 18-wheeler would zoom past inches from your car going the other way.
Now it is 2 lanes in each direction and pretty much the biggest hassle are the cops that sit out on the breakdown shoulders looking for speeders - and believe me, they are hard to spot due to the distances involved.
They charge $12 each way but it is worth it in my opinion as it chops a good 2 - 3 hours off the trip from points north
There are 2 tunnels which are still 1 lane in each direction but I think there are plans to expand those as well in the future.
On top of one of the tunnels is a cheesy rest stop and fishing pier - in the summer you can chill there and if you are lucky, you can watch Naval vessels heading in and out of Norfolk Naval Base - always an interesting thing to see for sure.
I crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on my way back to Brooklyn from Kitty Hawk, NC because my Garmin GPS told me this was the quickest way home. Plus I'm a sucker for the "I was at (fill in the blank)" tourist trap t-shirt. According to the tourist literature and CBBT web site this is an engineering marvel. That may well be but in terms of awe factor it's kind of a let down. You pretty much pay a $12 toll to cross some spans and tunnels. That's it.
There is a rest stop/gift shop/cafe four miles in (heading north) where you can view the bay, stretch and get a bite. Other than getting attacked by gulls if you chance bringing some food back to your car it's a pretty mediocre experience. The view is fine except when you notice the locals in their personal Marlin fishing boats kicking back next to the bridge, you kind of wish you could trade places. The fried seafood is decent enough if not a tad pricey and the gift shop offers no exciting t-shirts or trinkets. I did have fun throwing food to the gulls. I was in a mean spirited mood and wanted them to associate humans with a meal ticket. An experience the next tourist would have to deal with. Real Alfred Hitchcock stuff.
Once you get off the bridge in North Hampton it's a different story. The scenery is nice and a bit of a paradox. Victorian (?) homes with a lot of yardage, and tobacco/smoked ham shops dot both sides of Hwy 13 in a sparse manner which surprised me. Usually, whenever I cross a major thoroughfare there's a heavy population on both ends.
My big warning is that once you cross into Maryland, Hwy 13 turns into a big mess. Nothing but strip malls and unsynchronized traffic lights going the whole rest of the way north. You might be better off taking I-64 W to the I-95/295 N instead of the CBBT. Yes it's more mileage but I liken it to taking the Belt Parkway E from the Gowanus to the Kings Plaza Mall instead of taking Flatbush Ave all the way down from Prospect Park and hitting lights and traffic. Longer but quicker. Besides, if you want a real thrill ride with scenery take the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in New Orleans, especially during a storm, or ride between the subway cars on the A or C train when it crosses Broad Channel.