<P> The Chesapeake Bay Bridge -- Tunnel ( CBBT ) is a 23 - mile ( 37 km ) fixed link crossing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in the U.S. state of Virginia . It connects Northampton County on the Delmarva Peninsula with Virginia Beach , which is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area . The bridge -- tunnel originally combined 12 miles ( 19 km ) of trestle , two 1 - mile - long ( 1.6 km ) tunnels , four artificial islands , four high - level bridges , approximately 2 miles ( 3.2 km ) of causeway , and 5.5 miles ( 8.9 km ) of approach roads -- crossing the Chesapeake Bay and preserving traffic on the Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake shipping channels . It replaced vehicle ferry services that operated from South Hampton Roads and from the Virginia Peninsula from the 1930s . Financed by toll revenue bonds , the bridge -- tunnel was opened on April 15 , 1964 , and remains one of only ten bridge -- tunnel systems in the world , three of which are located in Hampton Roads . </P>
<P> The Chesapeake Bay Bridge -- Tunnel ( CBBT ) is a 23 - mile ( 37 km ) fixed link crossing at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in the U.S. state of Virginia . It connects Northampton County on the Delmarva Peninsula with Virginia Beach , which is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area . The bridge -- tunnel originally combined 12 miles ( 19 km ) of trestle , two 1 - mile - long ( 1.6 km ) tunnels , four artificial islands , four high - level bridges , approximately 2 miles ( 3.2 km ) of causeway , and 5.5 miles ( 8.9 km ) of approach roads -- crossing the Chesapeake Bay and preserving traffic on the Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake shipping channels . It replaced vehicle ferry services that operated from South Hampton Roads and from the Virginia Peninsula from the 1930s . Financed by toll revenue bonds , the bridge -- tunnel was opened on April 15 , 1964 , and remains one of only ten bridge -- tunnel systems in the world , three of which are located in Hampton Roads . </P>
how long is the chesapeake bay tunnel bridge
how long is the chesapeake bay tunnel bridge
23 - mile ( 37 km )
23 - mile ( 37 km )