Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel |
|
|---|---|
| Carries |  I-664 |
| Crosses | Hampton Roads |
| Locale | Suffolk, Virginia to Newport News, Virginia |
| Maintained by | Virginia Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Composite--Low-level Trestle, Double-tube Tunnel, Manmade islands |
| Total length | 4.6 miles (7.4 km) |
| Clearance above | 14'6" (4.42 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | April 30, 1992 |
The Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel (MMMBT) is a super cool structure in southeastern Virginia, United States. It's like a giant highway that goes over and under the water! This amazing path is 4.6 miles (7.4 km) long and carries Interstate 664.
The MMMBT connects two cities: Newport News and Suffolk. It's a key part of the Hampton Roads Beltway, which is a big highway loop connecting the seven largest cities in the Hampton Roads area.
This special bridge-tunnel opened in 1992. It was the third major way for cars to cross the Hampton Roads harbor. Before it, there was the Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel (for Interstate 64) and the James River Bridge. All three of these crossings are free to use!
The MMMBT cost about $400 million to build. It has a four-lane tunnel that's 4,800 feet (1,463 m) long. It also includes two man-made islands and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) of twin bridges called trestles.
A Historic Name: Battle of Hampton Roads
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The Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel gets its name from two famous ships. These were the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. They were special warships called ironclads because they were covered in metal armor.
These two ships fought a very important battle. It was called the Battle of Hampton Roads. This battle happened on March 8–9, 1862, during the American Civil War. The CSS Virginia was actually rebuilt from an older ship called the USS Merrimack.
The battle took place less than a mile (1.6 km) from where the bridge-tunnel is today. Virginia named this structure to remember that important moment in history.
