Chessie, the tunnel boring machine that will dig the new tunnel under Chesapeake Bay. Photo courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel commission.The new boring machine that will drill the mile-long hole for an expansion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) has been named Chessie after the fabled sea monster that is said to live in Chesapeake Bay, The Virginian-Pilot reports.
The name was chosen from more than 120 names that were submitted by local sixth graders during an online contest to name the drill. The name Chessie was submitted by Grace Bentley of Nandua Middle School in Onley, Va.
CBBT says the naming of the machine before beginning work is a sign of good luck for the project ahead.
Prep work for the $756 million tunnel has already begun on the island closest to Virginia Beach. Chessie will begin boring the tunnel there in 2019 and move northeast until it hits the second island.
The project is expected to finish in 2022.
