WASHINGTON — Amtrak has taken the first step in the procurement process to replace Baltimore’s B&P Tunnel, issuing a Request for Letters of Interest for the new tunnel’s Southern Approach construction package.
The $1 billion-plus Southern Approach package is the first of three major construction contracts for the project to replace the 1.4-mile tunnel dating to 1873.
“This is a major milestone for the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program and this contract includes several critical elements of the project,” Laura Mason, Amtrak’s executive vice president of capital delivery, said in a press release. “Amtrak will be procuring multiple construction contracts as part of the program, which will include the construction of the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel, and other supporting investments, such as new bridges and railroad infrastructure, improving this vital stretch of the Northeast Corridor for generations to come.”
Contractors must provide a Letter of Interest in order to be eligible to receive the Request for Proposals to be issued later this year. Interested contractors can find more information and submittal requirements at the Amtrak Procurement Portal.
More on the B&P Tunnel Replacement Project is available at this page on Amtrak’s website.
Why is it going to take 10-years to complete a 1.4-mile rail tunnel replacement?
Actual construction should take 12-18 months. Spending $1 billion in under two years draws the wrong kinds of attention. $100 million per year doled out to your cronies can fly under the radar if you’re careful. And Baltimore knows how to be careful.
that’s a good point