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The Navy has long required that the sea lanes from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Newport News Shipbuilding to the ocean have a deep-draft passage with no bridge, for just that reason.

Which is why there's a tunnel -- when Virginia looked at replacing the ferry that ran between the Eastern Shore and Norfolk/Virginia Beach, the US Navy objected to a bridge over fears it could collapse. (An accident, sabotage, etc.) That's also why I64 has a bridge-tunnel design, as well.

Right? Clearly it would be a significant national defense risk. Also allows for larger ships to get through.

That said - It also makes for a very enjoyable drive with children - probably their main design parameter right?

This was also a major concern around the construction of the Golden Gate bridge; that during a time of war an enemy could have destroyed it to trap a large portion of the Navy's Pacific Fleet in the bay.