Rendering courtesy of Amtrak
The new Connecticut River Bridge will improve reliability and reduce delays for Amtrak’s intercity services, Connecticut Shore Line East commuter service and freight operators along the Northeast Corridor (NEC), America’s busiest rail corridor.
Amtrak will soon begin construction of a new, $1.3 billion Connecticut River Bridge between the towns of Old Saybrook and Old Lyme following the award of a design-bid-build contract to O&G/Tutor Perini, a joint venture of two major construction firms.
The passenger rail company's agreement with the building team comes on the heels of recent permit approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
The new Connecticut River Bridge will improve reliability and reduce delays for Amtrak's intercity services, the Connecticut Shore Line East commuter service, and freight operators along the Northeast Corridor (NEC), America's busiest rail corridor.
It will be primarily funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), due to a $826.64 million federal grant awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); Amtrak and the state of Connecticut will foot the remainder of the project's cost.
It is but one of several passenger rail improvement efforts in the state, including the Devon Bridge and Walk Bridge replacement projects undertaken by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT).
"Today's milestone brings us one step closer to putting shovels in the ground and kicking off construction for this major project," Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner noted in a June 28 news release.
He also expressed his appreciation to the Biden-Harris Administration and the FRA for the funding necessary to advance the project from planning to construction. Additionally, Gardner thanked Connecticut's two Democratic U.S. senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, along with Gov. Ned Lamont (D), and CTDOT "for their continued support and partnership."
"The Connecticut River Bridge is an essential part of the busy Northeast Corridor rail line, but in dire need of repair," Blumenthal said in the news release. "I am thrilled the work to replace this century-old bridge is moving forward — ensuring improved rail service is on the way — and I will keep fighting for federal resources to improve Connecticut's aging infrastructure."
In a statement from his office, Murphy added, "Investing in the future of rail in Connecticut is a no-brainer — it makes life easier for travelers and commuters, boosts economic growth, creates good-paying jobs and helps fight the climate crisis. Thanks to funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, this $1.3 billion investment to replace the aging Connecticut River Bridge will keep our railways safe, cut travel times and improve Amtrak's rail service for Connecticut riders."
The current 1,500-ft.-long Connecticut River Bridge opened in 1907 and is one of several moveable rail spans along the NEC.
Today, it serves more than 50 daily Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela trains, the CTrail Shore Line East service, and various freight trains. However, the unreliability of the aging bridge, due to its failure to open and close consistently, results in cascading delays to rail and maritime traffic.
New Moveable Bridge Will Help to Modernize NEC
The O&G/Tutor Perini joint venture will work with Amtrak at the Connecticut River site to construct a new two-track, moveable bridge to replace the existing dual-track structure between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, located about midway between New York City and Providence, R.I.
- The proposed moveable bridge will be located immediately south of the old span, and feature modern tracks, signals, catenary, power, communication and other supporting rail infrastructure.
- It also is designed to safely support trains moving at a maximum operating speed of 70 mph, a 55 percent increase from today's maximum speed of 45 mph.
- Maritime navigation and safety in the river also will improve due to additional vertical clearance compared with the existing bridge.
The new bridge design is 100 percent complete, according to Amtrak, and construction is set to begin late this summer or early fall.
The rail service previously awarded a construction management contract to AECOM, which will assist the rail company with management of the construction joint venture, document control, schedule and budget oversight, and community outreach support.
The NEC rail bridge project in Connecticut is key to Amtrak's vision of a new era of passenger rail, which includes investments into modern trains, stations, tunnels, bridges and other critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the customer experience, improve safety and reliability, and expand capacity to serve more future customers.
"The new Connecticut River Bridge will serve the entire Northeast Corridor. It will help realize Gov. Ned Lamont's goal of improved rail connectivity north to Boston and south to Washington, D.C.," explained CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto.
"The new structure, built by Connecticut's building trades, will improve safety, reliability and increase operating speeds along the line," he added. "CTDOT is grateful for the continued support of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration, the advocacy of our congressional delegation, and collaboration of our partners at Amtrak."
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