PASADENA, CA - Parsons, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation, is pleased to announce that one westbound lane of traffic is now open in the new, 4,300-ft-long Midtown Tunnel under the Elizabeth River, which connects U.S. Route 58 between Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA. The tunnel is part of the $1.5 billion Elizabeth River Tunnels Project in which Parsons serves as managing partner of the joint venture responsible for providing program management, including oversight of both design and construction to the Virginia Department of Transportation. “Parsons is a leader in tunnel design and engineering,” said Michael Johnson, Parsons Group President. “The entire project team worked diligently to help reach this important project milestone six months ahead of schedule. By transitioning westbound traffic from the old Midtown Tunnel to the new tunnel, opposing tunnel traffic has been eliminated and driver safety has been improved. Now, construction continues to open both lanes in each tunnel.” The Elizabeth River Tunnels Project involves the rehabilitation of both the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels, construction of a new 2-lane immersed-tube tunnel adjacent to the existing Midtown Tunnel, modifications to the Brambleton Avenue/Hampton Boulevard interchange in Norfolk, and a 1.2-mile extension of the Martin Luther King Freeway in Portsmouth. The entire project is currently scheduled to be substantially complete by  the third quarter of next year.