BALTIMORE — Amtrak has selected a Kiewit/J.F. Shea Joint Venture to build the Frederick Douglass Tunnel, the replacement for 150-year-old B&P Tunnel which poses major operating issues on the Northeast Corridor just south of Baltimore Penn Station.
The approximately $6 billion project involves construction of two parallel, single-track 2-mile tunnels, and will eliminate 30-mph speed restrictions because of the tight curves in the current tunnel. Scheduled for completion in 2035, the project involves three major construction projects:
— Replacing five roadway and rail bridges; building new rail infrastructure, including interlockings, tracks, catenary and power systems, and constructing a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC Station.
— Building the two tubes of the tunnel.
— Fitting the tunnel with tracks, rail systems, and ventilation facilities.
“We are one step closer to unlocking the biggest passenger rail bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and New Jersey,” Laura Mason, Amtrak executive vice president, capital delivery, said in a press release. “This would not be possible without historic funding through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, as well as continued support from the Biden-Harris Administration, FRA and our funding partners at Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration.”
President Joe Biden first announced more than $4 billion for the tunnel project in a January 2023 appearance at Baltimore Penn Station [see “B&P Tunnel to receive more than $4 billion …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 30, 2023], funding that was finalized in November [see “Biden announces $16.4 billion in funding …,” News Wire, Nov. 6, 2023]. Early work on the tunnel began in March, and the first major contracts were awarded in September [see “Amtrak awards two contracts …,” News Wire, Sept. 12, 2023].
More on the tunnel project is available here.
Eleven years? And with how much triple overtime and underestimated costs? Hang on to your wallets!