After an eventful time in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we wanted to venture to Ocean City, Maryland, to visit some friends we had made on our 2022 transatlantic cruise. Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel offered the quickest, most direct route, saving 95 miles and about three hours of travel time through the congested Washington, D.C., area. Considered one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is a 17.6-mile crossing of the Chesapeake Bay. Since opening in 1964, it’s taken more than 140 million vehicles from Virginia Beach to the state’s Delmarva Peninsula, or vice versa, traversing both over and under the water. The bridge-tunnel includes not one, but two tunnels, each about a mile long. Crossing the bridge-tunnel takes only about a half hour but can be nerve-racking in an RV if you’re unprepared for it. To Cross or Not to Cross? As the time approached for us to travel to Ocean City, Bob put his excellent research skills to use to explore our options to get there. The bridge-tunnel’s direct route and time savings made us give it serious consideration. Had other RVs made it through? Did semi-trucks use the route? How tight were the travel lanes? We had read that the max vehicle height for the tunnels is 13 feet, 6 inches, the size of semis. Our rig is 3 inches shorter, so we took some comfort in that, knowing we had a little more clearance than trucks did. Because of the potential stress of driving an RV across the bridge-tunnel, Bob had decided we’d forgo it and take the long, inland route instead. But advice from a friend made him reconsider. Jim had traveled the bridge-tunnel numerous times and had seen semis and RVs make it through with no issues. The only potential risk was weather. If conditions are too windy, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission closes the bridge-tunnel until conditions improve. We decided to keep our trip short and take the direct route across the bridge-tunnel. Travel Day The weather looked good on our day of departure. We waited to leave our campsite at First Landing State Park until about 9 a.m. to let traffic die down. Navigating to the bridge-tunnel proved easy enough. We made it to the toll plaza with no problems. Because we have E-ZPass, a transponder in Gulliver that electronically pays tolls we encounter, we didn’t have to exchange any funds. The toll worker asked if our propane was off. We assured her it was, and we were on our way, starting across the bridge. A semi-truck passed us, relaxing any remaining frayed nerves. Prior to this experience, we had thought the dimensions listed before tunnels and overpasses — 13’ 6” max height, in this case — were the measured distance from road to overpass/tunnel bottom. We learned those signs actually mean the listed dimensions are the maximum height for a vehicle to safely pass without hitting the bridge/tunnel. As we approached the first of the two tunnels, Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel, and two-way traffic, Bob concentrated on keeping Gulliver and Tagalong in the middle of our lane. Clearance under the tunnel was fine. We had no problems, although we still got excited when we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. We emerged onto another bridge that led us to the second tunnel, the Chesapeake Channel Tunnel. As we approached that one, a semi-truck came out toward us, clearly demonstrating plenty of clearance. After that tunnel, we crossed another bridge before finally returning to land. Thankful for an uneventful experience, we pulled into the Eastern Shore of Virginia Welcome Center. There, we turned our propane back on to keep the food in our fridge and freezer cold as we journeyed to our destination in Ocean City.
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18 Comments
Jan
6/14/2022 08:37:34 am
Sounds a little scary!
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Carole
6/14/2022 06:26:45 pm
Lol.. It's crazy I felt like I was at the movie theater at the edge of my seat.. wondering what would happen.. should tag along go through the tunnel.. What would happen.. All kinds of scenarios went through my mind.. too funny and then knowing it's a long stretch of road.. My palms were sweating as though I was traveling through it.. Lol I'm glad you made it safely through..
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Walt
2/12/2023 12:53:10 pm
Bob & Lana thank you for this article. I also was on the fence in taking the tunnel. But your experience has convinced me it will all be good and a fun experience!
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Lana Gates
2/12/2023 03:18:00 pm
Great to hear, Walt. Enjoy your travels!
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Bruce Sculthorpe
7/27/2023 06:41:30 pm
Thank you for the reassurance. We have a Ram 3500 dually (red, looks like Gulliver!) pulling a 45' 3-axle fiver, and while we've been across the bridge-tunnel a number of times in smaller vehicles (last time just me on a motorcycle!), we weren't confident about taking the big rig. I was thinking like Bob, that we'd be better off going the long way. Now I feel a lot better about driving the rig across the bridge-tunnel, if that makes sense for our needs.
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Lana Gates
7/27/2023 11:08:57 pm
Thanks for the feedback, Bruce. Glad you found the info helpful.
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kathy
10/12/2023 07:20:46 am
Hey Bruce just wondering if you have taken your 45 foot through yet???
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Bruce Sculthorpe
10/12/2023 11:43:03 am
Kathy,
Jim Shorts
8/24/2023 06:10:21 pm
Enjoyed your article on crossing the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnel. We will be visiting family in Norfolk in two weeks and then head north to the Poconos and this looks like an interesting drive pulling an RV. We will be pulling a travel trailer and we are 56ft. long. We will be taking the tunnel. Your article was very helpful. Thank you.
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Lana Gates
8/24/2023 11:12:09 pm
That's great to hear, Jim. Thanks for sharing. Safe travels!
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Brad Anderson
10/18/2023 02:18:20 pm
We drove it today with no issues. Kind of scary when you start heading into the tunnel not knowing your exact height which I know was my responsibility. We did measure to the best of our abilities and really felt we had a few a couple inches to spare. You would think they would have a bar to drive under somewhere to check but I did not see one. A little scary meeting a semi going thru the tunnel side by side but not as bad as Mexico.
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Lana Gates
10/19/2023 06:22:22 am
Glad you made it through safely. RVs are not made taller than 13' 6". The tallest I've heard of is 13' 5".
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Your travel blog is a symphony of exploration, and I'm endlessly grateful for the melodies you create with your words. Your posts are like musical notes, each playing a unique part in the travel symphony you compose. Your travel guides are the sheet music for my own adventures, and your travel tips are the harmonies that make every journey harmonious. Keep composing your travel sonata for us!
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10/30/2023 08:29:25 am
What a wonderful compliment! Thank you, Elisa. I'm glad you find the posts helpful. I plan to keep writing them.
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Edie
10/31/2023 07:07:15 pm
What is the speed limit? We've driven this several times (years ago) while pulling a pop-up, but never with our 26 foot hybrid camper. I feel like I'll want my husband to be crawling through with our camper! I'm sure it will be fine! I'll just close my eyes!
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Lana Gates
11/1/2023 08:45:55 am
Hi Edie, the speed limit is 55 mph. I'm sure you and your husband will do fine with your 26-foot hybrid trailer. Enjoy the journey!
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Daphne Steele
11/7/2023 11:15:25 am
Thank you for this article. We'll be going through the Chesapeake BBT on Friday. We're in a 31' Class C hauling a Prius on a dolly.
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Lana Gates
11/8/2023 09:28:51 am
You're welcome. I'm sure you'll do great.
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