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Category: Readers' Opinions

Tunnel phobia

Apr 08

7:22 AM

I have traversed the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel twice a day. From my experience over the past 25 years, I can tell you that another tunnel will only cause more traffic slowdowns.

The slowdowns occur at the HRBT for the most part without accidents or breakdowns. They result from drivers who slow down as they approach the tunnel entrance and continue to use the brake while they are moving through the tunnel.

I have come to the conclusion that people are generally afraid of tunnel driving, so they slow down. My question, then, is why spend untold billions on just another traffic impediment?

The only backups on the High Rise Bridge come from accidents or breakdowns, so I would conclude that a bridge might be a better answer than another tunnel.

William R. Doebler

Virginia Beach

View 9 comment(s) Link to post

Just kills me...

Submitted by Ira Tateu on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 10:04 pm.

The worst is when you get to the lowest point in the tunnel, it sharply begins to incline again. For some reason people forget they have an accelerator pedal. Then their slowdown equals a stop at the end of the line. I cannot remember what that is called. Any road engineers out there? This creates a chain reaction at the other end stopping traffic sometimes for miles. So you finally get into the tunnel and see there is nothing. No accident, construction, nothing! But the person in front of you darting in and out of traffic has now decided to go 40MPH uphill. We should think up a name for these morons. An official tunnel moran insult of our own. Maybe we could shame the 'toran's' (I know, not good) into maintaining a steady speed.

i made a

Submitted by blondieblue227 on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 4:38 pm.

i made a bumpersticker...

tunnel does not equal brake

people teased me about it thou so i removed it.

so do we still rank in the top 10 worse cities for traffic in the nation?

Tunnel Phobia

Submitted by gabriellel45516 on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 12:39 pm.

YUP, I've got it and I'm the first to admit it.

The way I deal with it is not drive through tunnels. I will be a passenger, but I have far to much respect for others on the road to subject them to my abject fear of tunnels.

High Rise Bridges

Submitted by davidf58352 on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 12:36 pm.

The high-rise bridge in Chesapeake is backed up nearly every day at rush hour - westbound in the mornings and eastbound in the afternoons, and it's not always because of bridge lifts, accidents or breakdowns. Many people are simply nervous crossing it and that bridge’s vertical clearance is only 65 feet. I submit that while many may be afraid of tunnel driving, the number of people who are afraid of heights is even higher. A bridge over the same route where the HRBT is now would have to have a vertical clearance of at least 200 feet to allow aircraft carriers to pass under without having to use a draw. Now there's a high-rise!

Sticking our head in the sand won't solve our problems

Submitted by am81430 on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 12:30 pm.

We need a third crossing, as we witnessed from last week's debacle. BTW, another big reason for the traffic slowing down around the tunnel are bottlenecks, which are more prevalent now than they were 25 years ago.

it's ridiculous

Submitted by jep23 on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 11:37 am.

Whenever I drive through a tunnel (not often), I always notice that the speed-demons who go 80 mph on the bridge always slow down (in the left lane) to 50 mph when they go in the tunnel. Then I have to wait for them to be scared of the "tunnel monsters" until we exit the other side. Then they are 5 miles ahead of me within a few minutes. I know there are cameras in the tunnels. Why don't we have police officers specifically assigned to tunnels that can get the people on camera and stop them when they exit?

100% accurate

Submitted by EternalSunshine on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 10:41 am.

I agree whole-heartedly. The problem isn't the tunnel; it's the people who drive through it!

How many times have you resumed the speed limit on the other side of the tunnel and asked yourself, "What was that all about?"

The light at the end of the tunnel

Submitted by contractorva on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 9:53 am.

Hmm, Ive been told by someone who is afraid of tunnel driving, that all she can think of is the tunnel collapsing on her. Ironically I was told she does not slow down, but, instead speeds up, intently concentrated on that growing circle of light at the other end...

New rules

Submitted by mm12175 on Wed, 04/30/2008 at 9:04 am.

I didn't used to be afraid of tunnels. I am now, though. It's because I am nearly sideswiped every day by the morons who are trying to drive through the tunnel and use their cell phones at the same time. Add this to the idiots who can't read English and constantly change lanes in the tunnel or cross the double white line (Downtown tunnel). Why waste money to post the signs if no one is going to enforce them?