Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion Project in Norfolk, Virginia

On January 28, 2022, NMFS received a request from the Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP) to modify Letters of Authorization (LOA) that were issued to HRCP on April 2, 2021, as part of incidental take regulations. These regulations govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to construction activities associated with the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion Project (HRBT) in Norfolk, Virginia, over the course of 5 years (2021-2026). The modification is due to design updates which decrease the number of piles installed, require fewer hours of pile installation, and reduce the number of pile driving days. Prescribed mitigation measures were modified to reflect the change in design. We have determined that the modification will not result in an increase in take that would exceed the limits authorized under the original LOA. Therefore, the total amount of authorized taking remains the same.