The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner as well as U.S. Reps Gerry Connelly and Abigail Spanberger, participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the state’s Long Bridge Project on Oct. 15. This is the largest of the Commonwealth’s Transforming Rail in Virginia projects, Long Bridge is a $2.3 billion infrastructure improvement which will provide increased capacity for passenger rail over the Potomac River.
The new two-track railroad bridge will connect Arlington with Washington, DC allowing for the expansion of rail service which has been blocked by limited capacity to cross the river. Construction activities including site preparation will begin over the next few weeks with large-scale construction beginning in 2025. The project is scheduled for completion in 2030. The new bridge will be constructed adjacent to the existing bridge, a 119-year-old river crossing that currently operates at 98% capacity during peak periods, and will relieve one of the largest rail traffic bottlenecks on the East Coast. The new bridge will aid in separating passenger rail from freight rail, improving the on-time performance for both.
“In Virginia, our crippling traffic has truly become a bipartisan issue, and the Long Bridge groundbreaking represents our bipartisan solution,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of the VPRA. “But it’s not just Virginians who will benefit. Travelers from Boston to Miami will feel the effects of this project.” The Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative will add $7.2 billion to the economy via VPRA’s capital investments, according to VPRA.
When complete, TRV will enable the state’s Amtrak Virginia service to offer a total of 13 daily round trips up from eight currently, traveling throughout the state and connecting to the Northeast Corridor.