NORFOLK, Va. (AP) Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer said he will request a study on whether to build a wider Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

Homer said he’ll ask the Virginia Department of Transportation to study a wider tunnel and report back to his office by the end of the year.

Chronic congestion in the tunnel has generated renewed interest in building a wider structure. Such a proposal was rejected almost a decade ago because it didn’t accomplish as much as a preferred third crossing at Hampton Roads.

Some Peninsula-area politicians also want to consider whether a bridge could be built linking Norfolk and Hampton, an idea that also previously has been rejected, notably by the Department of Defense over security concerns. Homer said he would ask VDOT to consider this option as well.

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