RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Erin Gregg 757-925-2584 Sandy Shortridge 757-925-3627

HRO-0309 Jan. 27, 2003

2002 a busy year for area bridges and tunnels

2002 was a busy year for area bridges and tunnels. Following are year-end statistics about traffic and activity at the bridges and tunnels managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation in Hampton Roads:

- More than 96.6 million motorists passed through the four area bridges and tunnels combined in 2002, averaging over 264,000 vehicles per day.

- In 2002, staff at the area bridges and tunnels inspected over 215,000 vehicles at the inspection stations and tunnel islands.

- Combined, the four tunnels celebrated 145 years of connecting communities in Hampton Roads in 2002.
Total traffic in 2002

- 34.2 million vehicles total traveled the Downtown Tunnel.

- 32.3 million motorists traveled the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, a 2.5% increase in traffic over 2001.

- 18.1 million vehicles total traveled the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel in 2002. This 5.6% increase in traffic over 2001 marks the biggest jump in annual traffic of the four VDOT bridges and tunnels.

- Nearly 12 million vehicles traveled the Midtown Tunnel in 2002, a 2% increase over traffic in 2001.
Total traffic stoppages

- Traffic was stopped 8,257 times at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel for over-height vehicles that had to be measured and turned around, an average of nearly 23 over-height vehicles per day at this busy connector between the Southside and Peninsula.

- There were 3,744 total traffic stops at the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel in 2002. 2,342 over-height or over-width vehicles required an escort and this was the number one reason for traffic stops at the facility.

- In addition to stops for over-height vehicles, 2,751 total stops occurred at the HRBT in 2002, averaging 7.5 stops per day. Reasons for the stops include stalled vehicles, flat tires, cars running out of gas, wide loads, accidents, and fires. Stalled vehicles were the number one reason for vehicle stops, with 1,073 in 2002.

- The Downtown Tunnel had 2,334 vehicle stops in 2002, with 1,042 stalled vehicles as the number one reason for stops.

- 1,811 vehicle stops occurred at the Midtown Tunnel in 2002.

Record setting traffic

- 107,942 vehicles passed through the HRBT on May 10, 2002, setting the record for the most traffic on a single day.

- The MMMBT experienced a record setting day on August 30, 2002 when 67,916 vehicles passed through the tunnel lanes.


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