Client: Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC)
Agency: PRR
Role: Lead Web Development, DevOps, Digital Strategy, Web Design, CMS support
Technology: WordPress CMS, PHP, JavaScript/jQuery, HTML5, CSS3, HTTPS Security, Enterprise Firewall, PCI compliance, failover server
Project info:
Developed and maintained the new DriveERT.com website, which has improved features and utilizes mobile-friendly and optimized, responsive design. Continued to providing web design, web development, web server configuration and security, and content development throughout multiple phases of the Elizabeth River Tunnels Project. Assisting with the integration of toll payment and customer account portal with back-office system (BOS) provider, meeting strict security protocols.
About the Project
The Elizabeth River Tunnels (ERT) Project has been a top priority for the Hampton Roads region for many years. Under a public-private partnership (PPP or P3), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) partnered with Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) to build a new Midtown Tunnel, rehabilitate the existing Midtown and Downtown Tunnels, and extend the Martin Luther King Freeway in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. The project comprises the development, design, construction, finance and operation of a new two-lane tunnel parallel to the existing Midtown Tunnel under the Elizabeth River, maintenance and safety improvements to the existing Midtown and Downtown tunnels, extending the MLK from London Boulevard to Interstate 264, and interchange modifications at Brambleton Avenue and Hampton Boulevard. The project is located between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk in Hampton Roads. Under the comprehensive agreement, VDOT will maintain ownership of the infrastructure and oversee Elizabeth River Crossing’s activities, ERC will finance, and build the facilities, then operate and maintain them for a 58-year concession period.
The Elizabeth River Tunnels Project has implemented all-electronic tolling (AET), which means that gantries are used to collect tolls. There is not a cash option, nor traditional toll booths, available for payment. Drivers without an E-ZPass transponder will Pay by Plate. This process uses license plate recognition to identify and invoice customers who have used this tolled facility. ERC administers the Pay by Plate payments through the Website and ERT Customer Service Center.
