According to Delaware Online the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel southbound lanes are closed. Apparently two barges have struck each other.
The information is scarce. "Two barges reportedly struck the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel this morning, and officials have closed the southbound lanes while they check for damages" reports the newspaper.
Officials say that the traffic patters will soon alternate to alleviate backups. "The barges struck the 17.6-mile span of U.S. 13 between the two tunnels."
WRIC also reports an AP story that two barges struck at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The crew are assessing the damage. At this point we don't know what damage it may have caused. Officials warned motorists to expect at least 30-minute delays.
According to CBBT.com, which is official site of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel "The Bridge-Tunnel project is a four-lane 20-mile-long vehicular toll crossing of the lower Chesapeake Bay. The facility carries US 13, the main north-south highway on Virginia's Eastern Shore, and provides the only direct link between Virginia's Eastern Shore and south Hampton Roads, Virginia. The crossing consists of a series of low-level trestles interrupted by two approximately one-mile-long tunnels beneath Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels. The manmade islands, each approximately 5.25 acres in size, are located at each end of the two tunnels. There are also high level bridges over two other navigation channels: North Channel Bridge and Fisherman Inlet Bridge. Finally, between North Channel and Fisherman Inlet, the facility crosses at-grade over Fisherman Island, a barrier island which includes the Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge administered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Toll collection facilities are located at each end of the facility."
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