For more than 40 years, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel has captured worldwide attention as a modern engineering wonder and an important East Coast travel convenience. Crossing over and under open waters where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, the Bridge-Tunnel provides a direct link between Southeastern Virginia and the Delaware Peninsula and cuts 90 miles from the journey between Virginia Beach and points north of Wilmington, Delaware. Following its opening on April 15, 1964, the Bridge-Tunnel was selected "One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World" in a worldwide competition that included more than 100 major projects. In addition, in 1965, it was distinguished as "The Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement" by the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 2000, the Bridge-Tunnel was recognized by "Structural Engineer" magazine as one of the "Seven Structural Engineering Wonders of America for the 20th Century.