Plans for two new bridges over the Potomac River have moved “to the next level” with the announcement of a contractor to design and build the structures.
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) last week named Long Bridge Rail Partners — a joint venture between three general contractors — as the organization responsible for finalizing designs and beginning construction on the “South Package” of the Long Bridge Project.
This portion of the $2.3 billion undertaking, which officially broke ground back in October, involves the construction of another two-track rail bridge and pedestrian bridge between Arlington and D.C.
“The selection of the Long Bridge Rail Partners moves the project to the next level as all players are now in place,” VPRA said in a press release. “The Long Bridge Rail Partners team will take the project through the final design phase, incorporating innovative alternative technical concepts, through construction with completion expected in 2030.”
Representatives from the organizations behind Long Bridge Rail Partners — Trumbull Corp., Wagman Heavy Civil and Fay, S&B USA Construction — celebrated VPRA’s announcement in their own press release.
“The LBRP team is committed to delivering this cornerstone project of regional infrastructure improvements to enable expansion of Virginia rail service to meet future demand,” said Trumbull Corp. President Mark Gentile.
Both new bridges are expected to be built upstream of the existing Long Bridge, which runs parallel to I-395 across the Potomac. The new tracks are expected to benefit, among others, regional commuters using Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak riders.
“This has been a choke point for rail traffic all up and down the East Coast,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in October. “If you’re coming out of Boston, out of New York, and you wanted to get anywhere south of Washington on the train, this was the choke point. Adding this additional capacity is huge.”
The current bridge, run by CSX Transportation, is over 100 years old and operates at 98% capacity during peak hours, according to a project page. With around 80 CSX, Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express trains crossing daily, it supports about 4.5 million VRE commuters and 1.3 million Amtrak passengers each year.
The new bicycle-pedestrian bridge alongside the railroad will also create a direct connection between the Mount Vernon Trail and the Jefferson Memorial and East Potomac Park.
“Early work,” such as site clearing, has already begun on the north end of the Long Bridge project in D.C., a VPRA representative told ARLnow. The agency awarded the North Package to a joint venture between Skanska and Flatiron in December.
The South Package has also seen some pre-construction work, such as dive teams inspecting the riverbed.
“Virginia’s investment in rail will benefit passengers as well as our freight partners up and down the east coast,” VPRA Board Chair Tiffany Robinson said. “Long Bridge is vital to this expansion. We look forward to working with Long Bridge Rail Partners on this project which will reshape rail service in the Commonwealth.”
Photos via Virginia Passenger Rail/Flickr
