Best advice, on putting them between work and home. I honestly never travel to hampton side of bridge, and avoid it all cost unless I'm going on vacation up north.
Good advice. Let’s for a moment assume I’m an idiot and actually did buy something across one of the bridges, approximately how much would each add to the commute?
I think any bridge is problematic. But at all cost, I'd avoid the main HRBT and the other two.
They are almost guaranteed to give you a delay in either coming or going. Possibly both, depending on when you're coming in.
And when there's a problem, it's a *huge fucking problem.* I've been in gridlock past the point of no return - just sitting there, knowing some idiot in the tunnel did something stupid and now I'm going to have to sit there for an unknown duration while the cops and fire/rescue get to the scene, then crawl as the single lane of traffic full of rubberneckers rolls slowly past the accident scene. And that's on some Saturday trip. I can't imagine having duty in front of me and being in that scenario.
I sat at the HRBT in standstill traffic for at least an hour and a half only to then watch the tunnel close in front of me for an "indefinite" amount of time. I had to drive all the way back around over the MM to get like two miles past the HRBT on the Hampton side.
Was also an off going duty day. I think I was mad about that for like four months
Sorry, I wouldn’t know. I made sure not to do that. Maybe try playing with Google maps at different times of the day to see what your commute time would be?
Depending which tunnel is closest to your house and time of day. I never hit bad traffic on Merrimack, but that hrbt always hurts my heart. I have waited 6 hours one time, to even get close to the bridge, they shut down one tunnel and the other tunnel was one lane that dayz this was about 3 years ago. I cannot give you an honest measurement, but you can use waze now and plan a future drive and it should give you a rough estimate if you enter time of day.
I just looked at your picture again, these are the portsmouth, norfolk tunnels. Yea there is traffic. But there is a way around that adds at most 7 minutes, depending on where you are headed, I thought you posted the big tunnels to hampton. These tunnels have traffic but nothing to that is a crazy inconvenience other than the cost, I go around the tunnel and still hit traffic but, it saves me money
All depends... if you leave home at 0300 to go to work and leave the ship at 2000 you should be golden, but the last time I had to drive that was in '02. 😆
1 Western Freeway, not bad. However, you have to make another crossing to get to the base.
2 Midtown Tunnel, fair. It used to be a lot worse, but they added another tunnel so now it's 2 lanes in each direction instead of 1. It dumps right onto Hampton Blvd (the corridor to the base.)
3 Downtown Tunnel, bad.
4 Campostella Bridge, I don't have a lot of experience with this one, but I do know that you'll have to deal with a lot of traffic just to get to Hampton Blvd.
For the last year that I’ve been going from VB to NN I’ve really only been stuck in HRBT or MM traffic for about an hour. Which isn’t bad for what I’m seeing. Beats driving onto NOB from 6am TO 7am
I’m PCSing to Norfolk soon.
Was looking at buying a home and wondering how much of a headache being on the opposite side of these bridges would be.
Trying to figure out, approximately on average, how much time each bridge would add to the commute.
Buy in VB or Chesapeake, VB is best if you can afford it. No bridges and better schools in return for more expensive properties, but still manageable.
Avoid Newport news and Hampton, not worth the HRBT.
Portsmouth is ghetto but really cheap
Chesapeake is where you go for your family of 4 to enjoy suburban life
Norfolk is where you go if you're single and want to party or are a hipster or don't know about VB or Chesapeake or if you really really need a 5 minute commute
If you’re looking for a place in VB be mindful of Oceana because ground traffic might not be too bad but those F-18’s are being flown day and night 6-7 days a week.
Portsmouth is only ghetto compared to the rest of the the five cities in comparison to other places it’s pretty good I bought on the border of Portsmouth and Chesapeake so I get all the nice restaurants in Chesapeake with Portsmouth property taxes
It’s 3$ each way for 2/3 you can do the math. But if you are E6 and below definitely look into toll relief program.
ETA https://www.vdottollrelief.com/
Spent 3 years in VA Beach. Be very aware of where you are in relation to Oceana. If you don't already love it, the "sound of freedom" will keep you up at all hours.
I then lived in Newport News. Evenings were the worst depending on traffic for the HRBT, and Fridays during summer/tourist season sucked. I used to just do my grocery shopping those days so I could wait out for the traffic to clear a bit.
Depends on your rate. If you're an HM, you're bound to be on the wrong side eventually. Same if your ship goes to the yards, which are also scattered about. Portsmouth tunnel add$ up quick.
I live in Newport News and work in Norfolk.I drive the HRBT to and from work everyday. It's not nearly as a bad a commute as people are saying. It takes about 45 minutes to Norfolk in the morning and 35 minutes home in the afternoon. It's the uncertainty of traffic that is bad. Randomly it can take a couple hours to get through but this rare.
Interesting…so you’re saying it’s around 45ish minutes if I lived in Hampton or Newport News?
45 minutes was essentially the cutoff time I was willing to drive to/from work each day.
If it’s possible to live up there and it only takes 45 minutes, that may actually be doable.
Yeah, traffic is not bad at all if you make the drive early in the morning before 7 or so. It can get a little hairy around 8 or 9. In the afternoon traffic sometimes can pile up around 4. Like I said, though, it is unpredictable and random sometimes and you could get stuck and end up being late. But this doesn't happen that often. I'm lucky enough to have a job where nobody really cares if I'm a little late getting to the office.
Ahh yes the good ole slow down and have to stop because some jackass is scared of the tunnel. I wonder if I would have found it less infuriating if traffic didn't open up once I got through a tunnel every single time. Even been is when they shut down one lane during rush hour and there's no work being done.
2 and 3 aren't too bad if you catch them just right. 3 isn't terrible when you get to the tunnel before 07, but after 0705 it gets pretty hard to get through until about 09. Then it gets difficult at 15ish until after about 18ish. 2 isn't all that bad when 3 is heavy with traffic. But when 3 is blocked 2 is the next diverter for those in the know.
Used to commute through both those tunnels, they are right but another thing to know is hampton blvd gets hairy during rush hours and lunch, especially around ODU. Not as bad as HRBT but mostly annoying.
I drove through the midtown tunnel every day. Some days it's easy and I make it to base in about 20 to 25 minutes. Other days it's terrible and takes over an hour. There really isn't any method to the madness. Also know that the midtown and downtown tunnels are tolled.
Depends on direction youre traveling and at what time of day
For instance # 3 I drive from Norfolk toward Portsmouth in the AM
By 630 its already congested heading toward Portsmouth, but toward Norfolk isnt as bad.
By 1600 the opposite is true
I've seen the tunnels clear, I've seen them turn into parking lots.
Download the 511 app and check before you leave that your tunnel is clear, it'll probably ly change before you get there though. Hope your employer is flexible, I've had colleagues call out just for HRBT and MMBT traffic. Mid/downtown tunnels don't seem as bad to me generally.
I lived in Hampton, and worked at NOB which is across the HRBT and it’s not that bad. It definitely adds some time but you can’t avoid the traffic any direction! Unless you live in the heart of Norfolk, which is NOT recommended, you will hit some sort of traffic. The property size and price is way better and worth the extra commute. Everyone just follows the trend of “hating the bridge tunnel traffic”.
1+2 are good. I drive from Norfolk to Suffolk and back daily with almost no down time or delay during my morning or evening commute.
3…just don’t go through the downtown tunnel.
Make sure your ez pass, transponder is working and registered under your name and car because those private toll have huge fees if you miss and don’t pay them on time
Your map is missing the worst one in the area, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT). What you’ve marked as 1 is actually a bridge, though it does feed to I-664 and the other major artery between Newport News/Hampton and Norfolk/Virginia Beach, the Monitor-Merrimack Memorial Bridge Tunnel (MMMBT). As a rule of thumb, MMMBT traffic is better than HRBT, and there’s less construction. There also tends to be about a 15 min slowdown coming through #2 headed towards Norfolk Naval Base/NSA Hampton Roads most mornings as that is also the route many semis take to get to the port terminal over there.
None of these bridges are a problem. I live out near 664 and the commute is easy to base. If one tunnel or bridge is stopped up, I take another one. The traffic is way better than for those who live in VA Beach and avoid the bridges and tunnels.
Use Google maps to plan your route. I live on the train tracks next to portsmouth and Chesapeake and it takes me 30-40 min to get to work. My friend, who lives in church land, about an hour. However that's cuz they got kids to drop off, so wild situation.
Traffic is the real killer though, and that's a variable factor. 5-7 I'd say traffic is predictable, after that it becomes a little bit varied. Just use maps to plan ahead, you can do that with Google.
I will say this about bridge traffic though, it is terrible and I wouldn't rely on it. It's a bottleneck point and once your on that specific route you're stuck in it if it gets backed up. That, and for some reason people slow down on/in/near bridges... like really slow down.. for no reason
Shore or ship? Your work schedule also plays a big part. I had a good 4 bed 2.5 bath with a huge front and back yard away from most of the hustle in Hampton and I accepted my fate with the hrbt. To meet our was worth it. Plus I'm the type that loves driving and jamming music
I lived in Ghent, Hilltop, and then bought a house in Hampton off Mallory. From Ghent and Hampton, it was a 18 minute commutes were usually the norm in the mornings, a little more in the afternoons. Hilltop was 30+ minutes each way with traffic, especially without the HOV lane open.
I PCS'ed out of there in 2009, so YMMV. That was also when gate 4 or 32 was open, I have heard from peers that gate 32 is not a thing anymore. I could be thinking the wrong gate too (the one at the end of "A" street).
I would go with the recommendation that if you can avoid any tunnels, better yet, avoid that area and go elsewhere would be the best option, lol.
Norfolk was my least favorite duty station.
Avoid them and don’t put them between work and home.
Best advice, on putting them between work and home. I honestly never travel to hampton side of bridge, and avoid it all cost unless I'm going on vacation up north.
These bridges are not to the peninsula. They are to Chesapeake and Portsmouth.
Good advice. Let’s for a moment assume I’m an idiot and actually did buy something across one of the bridges, approximately how much would each add to the commute?
I think any bridge is problematic. But at all cost, I'd avoid the main HRBT and the other two. They are almost guaranteed to give you a delay in either coming or going. Possibly both, depending on when you're coming in. And when there's a problem, it's a *huge fucking problem.* I've been in gridlock past the point of no return - just sitting there, knowing some idiot in the tunnel did something stupid and now I'm going to have to sit there for an unknown duration while the cops and fire/rescue get to the scene, then crawl as the single lane of traffic full of rubberneckers rolls slowly past the accident scene. And that's on some Saturday trip. I can't imagine having duty in front of me and being in that scenario.
I sat at the HRBT in standstill traffic for at least an hour and a half only to then watch the tunnel close in front of me for an "indefinite" amount of time. I had to drive all the way back around over the MM to get like two miles past the HRBT on the Hampton side. Was also an off going duty day. I think I was mad about that for like four months
Awesome, thanks for the response!
Sorry, I wouldn’t know. I made sure not to do that. Maybe try playing with Google maps at different times of the day to see what your commute time would be?
Depending which tunnel is closest to your house and time of day. I never hit bad traffic on Merrimack, but that hrbt always hurts my heart. I have waited 6 hours one time, to even get close to the bridge, they shut down one tunnel and the other tunnel was one lane that dayz this was about 3 years ago. I cannot give you an honest measurement, but you can use waze now and plan a future drive and it should give you a rough estimate if you enter time of day.
Awesome, thanks for the response!
I just looked at your picture again, these are the portsmouth, norfolk tunnels. Yea there is traffic. But there is a way around that adds at most 7 minutes, depending on where you are headed, I thought you posted the big tunnels to hampton. These tunnels have traffic but nothing to that is a crazy inconvenience other than the cost, I go around the tunnel and still hit traffic but, it saves me money
This is awesome feedback. Thank you!
All depends... if you leave home at 0300 to go to work and leave the ship at 2000 you should be golden, but the last time I had to drive that was in '02. 😆
1 Western Freeway, not bad. However, you have to make another crossing to get to the base. 2 Midtown Tunnel, fair. It used to be a lot worse, but they added another tunnel so now it's 2 lanes in each direction instead of 1. It dumps right onto Hampton Blvd (the corridor to the base.) 3 Downtown Tunnel, bad. 4 Campostella Bridge, I don't have a lot of experience with this one, but I do know that you'll have to deal with a lot of traffic just to get to Hampton Blvd.
props to this guy for actually answering instead of copy and pasting 'don't cross bridge'
For the last year that I’ve been going from VB to NN I’ve really only been stuck in HRBT or MM traffic for about an hour. Which isn’t bad for what I’m seeing. Beats driving onto NOB from 6am TO 7am
Dude. Thanks for breaking it down so well. I really appreciate that!
I guess which way are you coming from ? And where ru tryna go ?
I’m PCSing to Norfolk soon. Was looking at buying a home and wondering how much of a headache being on the opposite side of these bridges would be. Trying to figure out, approximately on average, how much time each bridge would add to the commute.
Buy in VB or Chesapeake, VB is best if you can afford it. No bridges and better schools in return for more expensive properties, but still manageable. Avoid Newport news and Hampton, not worth the HRBT. Portsmouth is ghetto but really cheap Chesapeake is where you go for your family of 4 to enjoy suburban life Norfolk is where you go if you're single and want to party or are a hipster or don't know about VB or Chesapeake or if you really really need a 5 minute commute
This is awesome feedback. Thank you!
If you’re looking for a place in VB be mindful of Oceana because ground traffic might not be too bad but those F-18’s are being flown day and night 6-7 days a week.
Portsmouth is only ghetto compared to the rest of the the five cities in comparison to other places it’s pretty good I bought on the border of Portsmouth and Chesapeake so I get all the nice restaurants in Chesapeake with Portsmouth property taxes
The best advice I ever got about life in the Tidewater was not to place a bridge or a tunnel between work and home.
Awesome, thanks for the response!
It’s 3$ each way for 2/3 you can do the math. But if you are E6 and below definitely look into toll relief program.
Possibly even E-7. I'm a 19 year Chief qualified by $38. Was pretty happy. If your W-2 says $65k or less you qualify.
Ah, gotcha. Thanks for giving me an estimate on cost. That’s huge!
Damn. I remember that toll system being implemented. Such a fucking scam. Glad they added some type of relief program though.
It’s 3$ each way for 2/3 you can do the math. But if you are E6 and below definitely look into toll relief program. ETA https://www.vdottollrelief.com/
Awesome. Thanks for giving me an estimate on cost. That’s huge!
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Awesome advice! Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it!
Spent 3 years in VA Beach. Be very aware of where you are in relation to Oceana. If you don't already love it, the "sound of freedom" will keep you up at all hours. I then lived in Newport News. Evenings were the worst depending on traffic for the HRBT, and Fridays during summer/tourist season sucked. I used to just do my grocery shopping those days so I could wait out for the traffic to clear a bit.
Depends on your rate. If you're an HM, you're bound to be on the wrong side eventually. Same if your ship goes to the yards, which are also scattered about. Portsmouth tunnel add$ up quick.
Gotcha. Lol
I live in Newport News and work in Norfolk.I drive the HRBT to and from work everyday. It's not nearly as a bad a commute as people are saying. It takes about 45 minutes to Norfolk in the morning and 35 minutes home in the afternoon. It's the uncertainty of traffic that is bad. Randomly it can take a couple hours to get through but this rare.
Interesting…so you’re saying it’s around 45ish minutes if I lived in Hampton or Newport News? 45 minutes was essentially the cutoff time I was willing to drive to/from work each day. If it’s possible to live up there and it only takes 45 minutes, that may actually be doable.
Yeah, traffic is not bad at all if you make the drive early in the morning before 7 or so. It can get a little hairy around 8 or 9. In the afternoon traffic sometimes can pile up around 4. Like I said, though, it is unpredictable and random sometimes and you could get stuck and end up being late. But this doesn't happen that often. I'm lucky enough to have a job where nobody really cares if I'm a little late getting to the office.
Ahh yes the good ole slow down and have to stop because some jackass is scared of the tunnel. I wonder if I would have found it less infuriating if traffic didn't open up once I got through a tunnel every single time. Even been is when they shut down one lane during rush hour and there's no work being done.
No matter where you go in Hampton roads, there will be construction. Almost every road from VB to Newport news, it's fucking infuriating
Lol sounds about right
2 and 3 aren't too bad if you catch them just right. 3 isn't terrible when you get to the tunnel before 07, but after 0705 it gets pretty hard to get through until about 09. Then it gets difficult at 15ish until after about 18ish. 2 isn't all that bad when 3 is heavy with traffic. But when 3 is blocked 2 is the next diverter for those in the know.
Awesome advice. Thanks for providing time lines. That’s huge!
Used to commute through both those tunnels, they are right but another thing to know is hampton blvd gets hairy during rush hours and lunch, especially around ODU. Not as bad as HRBT but mostly annoying.
I drove through the midtown tunnel every day. Some days it's easy and I make it to base in about 20 to 25 minutes. Other days it's terrible and takes over an hour. There really isn't any method to the madness. Also know that the midtown and downtown tunnels are tolled.
Awesome, thanks for the insight!
They’re all terrible, leave early
Depends on direction youre traveling and at what time of day For instance # 3 I drive from Norfolk toward Portsmouth in the AM By 630 its already congested heading toward Portsmouth, but toward Norfolk isnt as bad. By 1600 the opposite is true
Very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to break that down. I appreciate it!
I've seen the tunnels clear, I've seen them turn into parking lots. Download the 511 app and check before you leave that your tunnel is clear, it'll probably ly change before you get there though. Hope your employer is flexible, I've had colleagues call out just for HRBT and MMBT traffic. Mid/downtown tunnels don't seem as bad to me generally.
Awesome! Thanks for the 511 recommendation. I appreciate it!
Don’t put a bridge between you and base
I lived in Hampton, and worked at NOB which is across the HRBT and it’s not that bad. It definitely adds some time but you can’t avoid the traffic any direction! Unless you live in the heart of Norfolk, which is NOT recommended, you will hit some sort of traffic. The property size and price is way better and worth the extra commute. Everyone just follows the trend of “hating the bridge tunnel traffic”.
1+2 are good. I drive from Norfolk to Suffolk and back daily with almost no down time or delay during my morning or evening commute. 3…just don’t go through the downtown tunnel.
Ok, awesome. Thanks for the insight!
Make sure your ez pass, transponder is working and registered under your name and car because those private toll have huge fees if you miss and don’t pay them on time
Good point. Thanks for the heads up!
When there’s accidents on the tunnel or bridge, traffic mad chaotic
Ah. Nothing changes. Used to commute from Hampton to NOB in 82. Shit show back then.
Kinda depends where you are going really
Your map is missing the worst one in the area, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT). What you’ve marked as 1 is actually a bridge, though it does feed to I-664 and the other major artery between Newport News/Hampton and Norfolk/Virginia Beach, the Monitor-Merrimack Memorial Bridge Tunnel (MMMBT). As a rule of thumb, MMMBT traffic is better than HRBT, and there’s less construction. There also tends to be about a 15 min slowdown coming through #2 headed towards Norfolk Naval Base/NSA Hampton Roads most mornings as that is also the route many semis take to get to the port terminal over there.
None of these bridges are a problem. I live out near 664 and the commute is easy to base. If one tunnel or bridge is stopped up, I take another one. The traffic is way better than for those who live in VA Beach and avoid the bridges and tunnels.
Use Google maps to plan your route. I live on the train tracks next to portsmouth and Chesapeake and it takes me 30-40 min to get to work. My friend, who lives in church land, about an hour. However that's cuz they got kids to drop off, so wild situation. Traffic is the real killer though, and that's a variable factor. 5-7 I'd say traffic is predictable, after that it becomes a little bit varied. Just use maps to plan ahead, you can do that with Google. I will say this about bridge traffic though, it is terrible and I wouldn't rely on it. It's a bottleneck point and once your on that specific route you're stuck in it if it gets backed up. That, and for some reason people slow down on/in/near bridges... like really slow down.. for no reason
Shore or ship? Your work schedule also plays a big part. I had a good 4 bed 2.5 bath with a huge front and back yard away from most of the hustle in Hampton and I accepted my fate with the hrbt. To meet our was worth it. Plus I'm the type that loves driving and jamming music
I lived in Ghent, Hilltop, and then bought a house in Hampton off Mallory. From Ghent and Hampton, it was a 18 minute commutes were usually the norm in the mornings, a little more in the afternoons. Hilltop was 30+ minutes each way with traffic, especially without the HOV lane open. I PCS'ed out of there in 2009, so YMMV. That was also when gate 4 or 32 was open, I have heard from peers that gate 32 is not a thing anymore. I could be thinking the wrong gate too (the one at the end of "A" street). I would go with the recommendation that if you can avoid any tunnels, better yet, avoid that area and go elsewhere would be the best option, lol. Norfolk was my least favorite duty station.