US national rail company Amtrak has broken ground on a $1.3bn project constructing a new Connecticut River Bridge on the Northeast Corridor (NEC).
The bridge is being built by a joint venture from O&G Industries and Tutor Perini and will replace the current bridge across the river which was built in 1907 and has become prone to difficulties opening for maritime traffic.
Amtrak’s new bridge is expected to finish construction in 2031 and will allow trains to run 55% faster across the river, 70mph compared to 45mph, thus improving efficiency and safety.
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said: “When completed, this modern bridge will improve the customer experience by eliminating delays, providing faster journeys and modernising another critical infrastructure asset in Connecticut that benefits the entire NEC.”
Trains will continue to run along the existing bridge while its replacement is built, with Amtrak itself operating more than 50 daily services across the river alongside CTrail Shore Line East commuter services and freight trains.
The project is partially funded by an $826.64m grant included in the Federal Railroad Administration’s $16bn package of funding for projects on the NEC as Amtrak and its partners carry out a major modernisation of the route’s infrastructure.
Connecticut governor Ned Lamont said: “The Northeast Corridor is the busiest rail line in the nation, and improvements here mean more jobs, continued economic growth, and improved quality of life.”
Amtrak’s other major projects on the NEC include the $6bn Frederick Douglass Tunnel. Upon construction completion in 2035, it will replace the 150-year-old Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel in Maryland, the oldest on Amtrak’s network.
