In the mid-1940s, Virginia legislators wanted to replace the aging vehicle ferry system that transported its motorists over the waterways in the state.
In 1988 and 1989, during an expansion of I-264, the Downtown Tunnel was expanded to two tunnels (two laned in both directions), and the nearby Berkley Bridge were rebuilt and expanded to eight lanes, connecting I-264 to I-464, just short of (and above) the tunnel entrance.