Another Bridge Tunnel Accident, not a surprise

CAPE CHARLES, Va. – The Coast Guard and local law enforcement in Virginia have recovered the tractor-trailer and the victim that went into the water from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on Thursday.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel District, Crofton Diving, of Portsmouth, successfully extracted the truck from the water around 3 p.m. The truck reportedly is owned by Keep It Moving 22, LLC.

This is another sad moment, but for someone that has been traveling across the bridge twice a day for over 20 years to go to work, it is not surprising. In the last few years, it seems drivers have become more reckless–not just on the CBBT, but on Route 13 in general. Summer vacation traffic amplifies safety issues.

Speeding and reckless driving contribute to unsafe conditions on bridges, posing risks to both drivers and the structural integrity of the bridge itself. Reckless driving significantly increases the risk of losing control of a vehicle. On the bridge, where space is often limited, this loss of control can have severe consequences–there is not a lot of room for error when you are traveling in excess of 80 mph. A driver’s inability to maneuver safely due to high speeds or reckless actions may result in collisions with bridge railings, barriers, or other vehicles, potentially damaging the bridge and endangering the lives of not just the driver, but those around them

Something that is readily thought about–when vehicles travel at excessive speeds or engage in reckless driving behaviors such as sudden lane changes, hard braking, or aggressive acceleration, it creates additional stress on the bridge structure. This increased stress can lead to accelerated wear and tear, potentially compromising the bridge’s safety over time. Given the age of the northbound span, this additional stress, along with heavy truck traffic moving extracted material from work on the new tunnel, is not optimal.

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Wayne Creed

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