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Old 08-13-2018, 06:37 AM   #21
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CBBT. There is no passing in the tunnels. They are single lane two way traffic. Speed limits are clearly posted. Both max and minimum are enforced, at least on the bridge part. The CBBT are scary.
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Old 08-13-2018, 07:09 AM   #22
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I have read the threads and some IMO are doomsday type threads. I have driven the bridge numerous times with and without our AS. Yes the tunnels are narrow however if you take your time you will be fine. Now if you want to go at least 150 to 200 miles out of your way you can stay on I95 and go around DC over the GW bridge and over the Bay bridge outside of Annapolis (now IMO driving around the DC area is really scary with or without a trailer) or you can take I95 and cut across to 17/301 and go over the 301 bridge across the Potomac which if I remember right is only 2 lanes.

What I am saying there are really no great options crossing the Chesapeake Bay to get to the Eastern Shore with the best in my opinion being the CBBT.

Be safe and have a great trip. By the way where are you staying the Eastern Shore?
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Old 08-13-2018, 07:40 AM   #23
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Groundbreaking for the second expansion phase, construction of a parallel southern tunnel, was September 2017, and is expected to be completed in 2022. It will hook into the second set of trestles constructed during the first expansion phase. The third expansion phase, for a parallel northern tunnel, alas, is not expected to start until sometime in the 2030's. And the second expansion phase has already caused the closing of the restaurant on the artificial island, which I had such fond memories of from my youth.
Uh....? third phase? Why?
I have lived in Va. Beach, at the south end of the tunnel since 1972.

When I moved here the whole 17 miles was 2 lanes; one 2 lane causeway with two 2 lane tunnels to allow ship traffic through the channels. (The Atlantic Fleet USN from Norfolk VA, especially submarines which come and go submerged)

There are now two causeways, two lanes north and two south, that funnel into the single set of the old tunnels. The old causeway is now 2 lanes northbound, the new is 2 lanes southbound. (Actually not 100% sure about which is which way. And I lived on Pleasure House Road which runs parallel to the southern approach. It was always 4 lanes on the land approach)

The the current tunnels are both one lane north and one south and are "gut check" driving because of the heavy traffic in both directions. When the two new tunnels are complete and comnected to the southbound lanes, the old tunnel will be refurbished into 2 lanes north. There will be crossovers in case one tunnel has to be closed due to a wreck.... until a wreck is cleared it is back to one lane each way.

A third phase is for a SPARE set of tunnels? OK. Now that I think about it, increasing population and traffic might make it necessary to have extra capacity in either direction during rush hour. And those alive then may be eating soylent green.
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Old 08-13-2018, 07:43 AM   #24
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Talking

Soytainly!

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Old 08-13-2018, 08:18 AM   #25
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The second time I ever went through a tunnel in this area, the driver of the car in front of us had a complete meltdown... never realized she had severe claustrophobia until the dark closed in over her. It was one lane each way and both lanes ground to a complete stop. My boyfriend was driving, and pretty heroically got out of the truck, slithered between the stopped lanes, shoved the woman bodily over the seatback into the back seat and drove the car out... I did some contortions to get over his stick shifter and drive his truck out. He didn't know I only had a motorcycle license and had never driven a standard transmission truck. I made it out at 20 mph in 2nd gear without grinding the gears even though MY clutch was left hand and my shifter was left foot 1 up, 4 down. Pretty good considering.

The tunnel police were very appreciative, and told us that kind of thing happened several times a year and usually resulted in a traffic snarl of almost an hour. One driver was so paralyzed with fear, he had to be tazed to get him moved! (back then the bottom of the tunnel was manned with a narrow walkway and a one man trolley to get him up and down. One of the police would normally have to ride or run to the stopped vehicle and drive it thru and nothing moved til he got there.

OH those were the good old days. Yes? No? Today one look at a stick shift, and I would choose the right door and the walkaround!
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Old 08-13-2018, 09:11 AM   #26
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Is the cost of a trucker GPS worth the $
Probably yes if they offer safer routes a dn keep me out of problem areas
towing 45ft
( 25ft airstream and F150 ( 51/2ft bed )
I have a Garmin 5" dezl (truck GPS). There is NO option to add PROPANE on the dezl. There is a "Hazardous Gases" (which is the option I choose). Other than that limitation, I'm happy with the dezl.

NOTE: the infotainment system in my RV has Rand McNally 720 software. I also have Copilot Truck HD software on my iPad. In my opinion, Rand McNally is the WORST GPS of the bunch. Sadly, there is NO "perfect" GPS, especially for the RV market. It is ALWAYS a good idea to have a current copy of the "Motor Carrier's Road Altas" (which might be Rand McNally's best product) available. AMAZING amount of good information in it. Buy a Motor Carrier's Road Atlas at a true truck stop. The atlas is heavily discounted at truck stops.
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Old 08-13-2018, 07:34 PM   #27
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Perhaps I didn't explain well. The first phase expansion was a parallel set of bridges and trestles. That left two tunnels as bottlenecks, the Thimble Shoal Tunnel in the south, and Chesapeake Channel Tunnel in the north. The second phase expansion is only building a new tunnel parallel to the Thimble Shoal Tunnel, leaving the Chesapeake Channel Tunnel as a bottleneck until phase three. Yes, you read that right. They're only building one new tunnel in phase two, not the two that would be required to debottleneck the entire bridge-tunnel.
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Old 08-14-2018, 03:10 AM   #28
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Originally Posted by urnmor View Post
I have read the threads and some IMO are doomsday type threads. I have driven the bridge numerous times with and without our AS. Yes the tunnels are narrow however if you take your time you will be fine. Now if you want to go at least 150 to 200 miles out of your way you can stay on I95 and go around DC over the GW bridge and over the Bay bridge outside of Annapolis (now IMO driving around the DC area is really scary with or without a trailer) or you can take I95 and cut across to 17/301 and go over the 301 bridge across the Potomac which if I remember right is only 2 lanes.

What I am saying there are really no great options crossing the Chesapeake Bay to get to the Eastern Shore with the best in my opinion being the CBBT.

Be safe and have a great trip. By the way where are you staying the Eastern Shore?
We will be staying for a couple of nights at a KOA on Chincoteague before heading on to Trappe, MD to stay with family. I was born in Cambridge and love the Eastern Shore!
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Old 08-14-2018, 04:26 AM   #29
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We do too! There used to be an Airstream dealer [Parkview] on the way south, so we would stop there for service and continue on.

BTW saying “on Chincoteague” marks you as a true Eastern Shore local IMO!

Have a great trip!

Peter
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Old 08-19-2018, 09:18 AM   #30
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I am wanting to take our 2005 Airstream International 28 ft to see my family in Maryland camping for a couple of nights on Chincoteague Island. I have driven my dually on the CBBT and some spots seem pretty narrow. Will I have any problems towing my Airstream?
You should not have any problems width wise. White knuckle driving while you pass on coming traffic is another story. We've done it in our 1978 GMC motorhome leading a caravan of like vechicals. Their width is comparable. We've stayed at Tom's Cove Campground while on Chincoteague.
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Old 08-19-2018, 10:57 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drlora View Post
I am wanting to take our 2005 Airstream International 28 ft to see my family in Maryland camping for a couple of nights on Chincoteague Island. I have driven my dually on the CBBT and some spots seem pretty narrow. Will I have any problems towing my Airstream?
We have towed though the area, stopped to be checked prior to heading North across the Bridge, meanwhile Motorhomes passed by never stopping for a check, when asked the officer shrugged his shoulders and said they had no authority to stop violators
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Old 08-20-2018, 06:45 AM   #32
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Bay bridge tunnel

I have been across the Bay Bridge Tunnel many times, South and north bound. With and without my 27 foot 1970 International. Never a problem, actually never been asked about my propane tank valve position! The most fun, was on my Kawasaki Concours motorcycle returning to New Jersey from Florida. Awoke to rain in Washington North Carolina, by the time I got to the bridge tunnel, it was a full on Nor'easter. Tunnels were no problem, just wet, open stretches a different story .Wind , out of the East at gale force had me leaning the bike at about 20-25 degrees into the wind. Nice experience.
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Old 08-20-2018, 09:58 AM   #33
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No problem.
When I crossed a lady asked if my propane tanks were closed. No inspection. We spent the night in the large parking lot on the eastern side. No problem, no hassle. It's a huge lot. The only thing that disturbed us was a guy mowing by our trailer in the morning.
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Old 08-21-2018, 09:28 AM   #34
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I went through there with our 30' motor home. Everything went well. but where the brown pants for passing on-coming 18 wheelers!
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Old 10-31-2018, 02:20 PM   #35
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No the lane widths are standard 12' wide
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Old 10-31-2018, 02:46 PM   #36
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A new parallel thread FYI:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...el-188914.html
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Old 11-01-2018, 08:21 AM   #37
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No the lane widths are standard 12' wide
Hi

On a "normal" road, you have a 12' wide lane and some "hang over" space by the shoulder. Since the tires on a vehicle are well inside the body, that works pretty well. With a tunnel (any of them ... ) you have this wall that ... errr ... interferes with hanging over the shoulder side of the lane. That gets to a lot of people.

It actually isn't any different than some other driving situations. It's more obvious what the problem is though.

Bob
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Old 11-01-2018, 08:57 AM   #38
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I have driven this but not with my Airstream. I believe that you will encounter construction zones in your travels that will be more of a problem than driving across the CBBT. I would look forward to it.

If your travels are to see the ponies, I recommend a stop at Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia.

Enjoy your trip. Sounds wonderful!

Dan
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Old 11-01-2018, 07:02 PM   #39
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Many, many years to complete, because they're only adding a tunnel parallel to the southern (Thistle Shoal) tunnel now. That will take years, then they're planning to wait ages until they pay off the bonds on that tunnel. Then, only when that's done, will they fund construction of a tunnel parallel to the northern (Chesapeake Channel) tunnel.

Quote:
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Two things to know for first timers on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

First the bridge portion was widened from 2 to 4 lanes several years ago. The two tunnels weren't (cost too much) the widening project is now underway but will take years to complete.
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Old 11-05-2018, 10:26 AM   #40
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As for width fears, I was taught by a wise old gent that when operating wide equipment, all you need to know is whether the lane or opening is wide enough to fit.

Then all you had to worry about was one side of your rig. The other side will take care of itself.

Pat
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