Amtrak Advances Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project

Amtrak is moving forward with a major infrastructure project to replace the 116-year-old Susquehanna River Rail Bridge. Two new bridges will replace the current bridge; and overhead power, signal, safety and security systems will be modernized to improve railroad efficiency on the Northeast Corridor. The total construction cost to replace the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge is estimated to be at least $1.5 billion.

As the longest moveable bridge on the Northeast Corridor, the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge is used by Amtrak, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail and Norfolk Southern to support more than 110 passenger and freight trains daily.

Currently, crossing the bridge requires trains to slow to a speed of 90 mph, resulting in capacity and reliability constraints. To resolve this issue, two newly constructed two-track fixed bridges will replace the existing two-track movable bridge, along with five miles of additional track realignment and construction. In the coming months, Amtrak plans to issue several key solicitations, including, but not limited to:

  • Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the construction of the new bridges and
  • Design-Bid-Build (DBB) contract for enabling works.

Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and MDOT MTA plan to award both contracts in 2023.

As a funding partner for the project, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) has committed $3 million toward a design grant that was recently awarded. Amtrak and MDOT MTA are in discussions about jointly pursuing additional grant funding for the cost of construction under the Federal State Partnership Program.

The Susquehanna River Rail Bridge was identified on the recently released Northeast Corridor Project Inventory list issued by the Federal Railroad Administration. The project is one of several major infrastructure projects that Amtrak’s newest department, Capital Delivery, is advancing. Earlier this year, procurement launches were announced for the replacement of the B&P Tunnel in Maryland and the Connecticut River Bridge. Amtrak will continue announcing similar procurement opportunities in the coming months.

-via Press Release

This article was posted on: November 21, 2022