Amtrak has achieved a significant milestone in the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program with the selection of the Clark Construction/Stacy and Witbeck Joint Venture as the first of three major construction contractors for this phase of construction to deliver the program. The award follows a yearlong competitive procurement that began in June 2022 for the Southern Approach construction package.
The entire investment for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel is estimated at approximately $6 billion, which is supported in part by federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), along with contributions from Amtrak and the State of Maryland.
The Southern Approach Package (Package B) is being delivered using a Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) delivery method. The Package B contract includes:
- Building a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC Station
- Constructing the southern approach from south of the West Baltimore Station area and extending north to the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel south portal
- Replacing multiple railroad undergrade bridges (N. Warwick Ave., W. Mulberry St., and W. Franklin St.)
- Replacing the Edmondson Ave. and W. Lafayette Ave. bridges
- Relocating and realigning various utilities
Additionally, separate contracts have been awarded to K.K. Adams and Delaware Cornerstone Builders, two local Small Business Enterprises (SBE) that will complete supplemental preconstruction activities ahead of major construction.
Construction contracts for other portions of the project are being procured separately:
- “Package A” – Frederick Douglass Tunnel construction
- Currently in procurement; anticipated award later this year
- “Package C” – Tunnel Fit Out (tunnel track, systems and ventilation facilities)
- Future procurement details TBA; anticipated award in 2025/2026
Amtrak continues to advance design, property acquisitions, and preparations for other smaller construction projects associated with the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program, which will transform the Northeast Corridor in West Baltimore and unlock the largest rail bottleneck between Washington, DC and New Jersey.
As the program progresses, these major construction contracts will support and complement other work which Amtrak’s Infrastructure Maintenance and Construction Service (IMCS) team will complete. The first project, completed by IMCS this summer, included replacing aging wooden ties with new concrete ties, installing new rail and completing track drainage improvements, which improved ride quality, increased track speed and will minimize the impact of future construction activities on operations.
-via Press Release