f Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Highways r I ENGINEERING REPORT f on HAMPTON ROADS PROJECT I l including RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER BRIDGE GEO. P. COLEMAN MEMORIAL BRIDGE JAMES RIVER BRIDGE SYSTEM AUGUST 1954 L PARSONS, BRINCKERHOFF, HALL 8c: MACDONALD ' I ENGINEERS ISi BROADWAY, NEW YORK 6, N. Y. PARSONS, BRINCKERHOFF, HALL & MACDONALD ENGINEERS FOUNDED BY WILLIAM BARCLAY PARSONS IN 1885 EUGENE L. MACDONALD 5 I BROADWAY, NEW YORK 6, N. Y. CONSULTANTS LAWRENCE S. WATERBURY MAURICE N. QUA DE ..JOHN P. HOGAN WALTER S DOUGL AS w: E. A.COVELL ALF'RED HEDEFINE August 16, 1954 .JOHN O. BICKEL RUSH F. ZIEGENFELDER WILLIAM H. BRUCE, JR. General J. A. Anderson, Commissioner Virginia Department of Highways Richmond 19, Virginia Dear General Anderson: In accordance with your authorization, we have completed the services to be rendered under Stage 1 of our contract for engineer­ ing work in connection with the Hampton Roads Project. These services consist principally of investigations, studies, and the preparation of preliminary plans and estimates of cost of the Pro­ ject. We find that from an engineering viewpoint the construction of the Project as described in the ::i.ccompanying report is entirely feasible and that its estimated cost - exclusive of costs of financing - is $63, 000, 000. Inasmuch as the Hampton Roads Project is one of four toll facili­ ties that will be constructed or, in the case of existing facilities, re­ financed under a proposed new bond issue, we have included in our report pertinent factual data pertaining to the other three facilities. These are the Rappahannock River Bridge, which is a new project, the George P. Coleman ·Memorial Bridge, and the James River Bridge System. The last two projects are existing facilities. The four projects will be operated and maintained as unified group. Our report contains an analysis and estimate of cost of centrally administered operation and maintenance. The cost for the fifth year of operation has been estimated to be $1, 730, 000. This report would not be complete without a sincere acknowledg­ ment of the splendid assistance and co-operation of the Department1s staff during the progress of the work. Very truly yours, PARSONS, BRINCKERHOFF, HALL & MACDONALD � M. N. Quade MNQ:RN ,... TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE No. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 1 Foreword ···-·-··· .. ······-············· ..·· ········-·· ..· ················-...............................................................-. ......................... 1. HAMPTON ROADS PROJECT A-GENERAL General Description of Project ......·-··-··-··-··--··-···· ·-······-······-· ..···-··················-··· 3 Geology and Soils ............................................. ·-·······-·····-······················ ·-····-· ..·-· ·-·-..-··- ··········-· 4 Right-Of-Way -·····-··-··········-··-· .. ··-·- --·····-.. ····-· .. ······-··············-·-·····""'"""'''"-·····-··················· 5 6 Toll Collection ...........................-.............................................. .............................................................. Buildings ·-·····-·--······· ··· ·-·-··.. -····· ..-·--- ·····-··-·-··-··--···----···-···-··-·-·····-··-···-·········· 6 Bus Operation .. .. .... ································································-···························· ..····-··········· ······ 8 B-HIGHWAYS 10 General ····-·······-·--·--·················--·····················-·········-········. ..................._ ..... ......... -........................... Interchanges ··-····-····················-····························-·····················-·······-··········-··························"······· 11 Structures ····-······-·-··········-··-···--··-···-·-······-··-·-·-··-·-···--··--··--····--··-···--·-·· .. -····· 13 Drainage ···········-······-·--···-·················--····-··-········-··-··-·····-····--··-·-··-··-····-··-·-····-··� 16 Relocation of Utilities and Streams -··-·-·································.. ................................. .... .... .17 Lighting ......_ . ....................... .... ................................................ -................................................-.......... 17 17 Design Criteria ............................................................................. -. ............................_ ...... -............ C-TUNNEL General Description .............................................................................................................................. 19 Ventilation -··---·-···-·········-··-·· ..- ·-···-·--···-··--·.. ····-··-·---- .. -····--·-................................... 21 Drainage and Fire Protection ................. -...·-··-··-......................................... ................... 21 Electrical and Lighting .................- ................-··-·-.. -·---·-··-·-···-··········-··············.. 22 Patrols .............................................................-- ·--··-···-·····-··-·--·---······· ·····-···-···········-···-··· 24 D - PROJECT COSTS AND SCHEDULING Estimate of Project Cost _. ............ _ ......... ................... .... ........... .......- .... ---------·-···-· 24 Construction Schedule ...................... �····-·· .. ...... ...... ........................ ............_ .. ............. _........... 26 2. RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER' BRIDGE General Description ... -..................................... ,..... .............................................-.-........ ............... 27 Estimated Costs ..........- .................................................................. -···--··-·-·-··--······-··-··-····· 28 3. YoRK RIVER BRIDGE (Geo. P. Coleman Memorial Bridge) General Description ···-···-·······-····-·········--·····················-·······"········· ... ............ ...................._ 29 4. }AMES RIVER BRIDGE General Description ...- .................... -......................................................................... ...................... 30 Costs of Rehabilitation ........................ ·-·-··-··········-·········-···--·····--·· ... ......................-....... 31 5. COSTS OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FOR ALL FACILITIES Operation and Ordinary Maintenance ·-·-··--·-................................................. 33 Insurance ................................................................--··-·····-··············-····........................................ 35 Replacement Reserve ·-·--····-···-··-··· ..·· -····················-······"···-·-··-·-···-·-············--····-··-· 36 Bus Operation -··-····-···-· .. ······-····-···--···········-··················-·-·-··-··-··-----···-·-····-·----···- 37 38 Estimate of Maintenance and Operating Expenses -··-················-····-·.. ····· - 6. CONCLUSIONS-··-·-·······•·-,·········-·····-··-·····-··-··························-····-··-··-·-·····-··-·-···-·-····-···-·-··········-·· 40 FOREWORD By virtue of Chapter 399 of the Acts of Virginia of 194:0, the Commission was authorized and empowered. (a) to acquire by purchase or by condemnation and to construct, improve, operate and maintain any one or more of the bridge and ferry projects mentioned in said Chapter 399 including, among others, (i) the ferry properties (hereinafter sometimes collectively called the "Chesapeake Ferries"), consisting of the properties commonly known as the "Newport News Ferry", operating across Hampton Roads from the City of Newport News to Pine Beach in the City of Norfolk, and as the "Old Point Ferry", operating from Old Point in Elizabeth City County across Hampton Roads to Willoughby in the City of Norfolk, (ii) the bridge properties (hereinafter sometimes collectively called the "James River Bridges"), owned by the James River Bridge System, a Virginia corporation, comprising the existing bridges across the James, Chuckatuck and Nansemond Rivers, together with connecting roads, in the counties of Warwick, Isle of Wight and Nansemond, (iii) a bridge across the York River (hereinafter sometimes called the "York River Bridge"), extending from a point within ·the Town of Yorktown, in York County, or within York County, to Gloucester Point or to some point in Gloucester County, and approaches thereto, and (iv) a bridge across the Rappahannock River (hereinafter sometimes called the "Rappahannock River Bridge"), extending from Greys Point, or its vicinity, in Middlesex County, to a point in the vicinity of White Stone, in Lancaster County, or at some other feasible points in the general vicinity of said two points, and approaches thereto ; (b) to issue revenue bonds of the State of Virginia, payable solely from earnings, to pay the cost of such projects; (c) to fix and collect tolls and other charges for the use of such projects; and 1 r r ( d) to couple or unite into one unit for :financing purposes any two or more of such projects. Acting under said Chapter 399 the Commission issued toll revenue bonds of the State to acquire the Chesapeake Ferries, the James River Bridges and to construct the York River Bridge. The Commission did not at that time provide funds out of the proceeds of toll revenue bonds to construct the Rappahannock River Bridge. By virtue of the State Revenue Bond Act (Code of Virginia, Sections 33-227 to 33-255, inclusive), as amended by Chapter 319 of the Acts of Virginia of 1954, the Commission is authorized to issue revenue bonds of the State for the combined purpose of providing funds to pay the cost of the Rappahannock River Bridge, the cost of the proposed Hamp­ ton Roads Project and to provide funds to refund the revenue bonds of the State now outstanding