Amtrak on Sept. 5 kicked off construction for its new Connecticut River Bridge along the Northeast Corridor between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Conn.; work is expected to conclude by 2031.
The O&G/Tutor Perini joint venture was awarded the construction contract in June; earlier, AECOM received the construction management contract.
The new bridge will replace the 116-year-old existing bridge, which Amtrak said is unreliable due to its failure to open and close consistently, resulting in cascading delays to rail and maritime traffic. That bridge is 1,500 feet long; comprises 10 spans, including a 160 foot-long drawspan (rolling-lift bascule variety); and serves more than 50 daily Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela trains, plus CTrail Shore Line East commuter rail and Providence & Worcester Railroad trains. According to Amtrak, rail traffic will remain in service throughout the project.
To be located just south of the current bridge, the new moveable bridge will feature a trunnion bascule span design with modern track, signal, catenary, power, communication and other supporting rail infrastructure, Amtrak reported. It will support a maximum train speed of 70 mph—up from the current maximum speed of 45 mph—and provide additional clearance, which is slated to improve maritime navigation and safety.
The $1.3 billion project is partially funded through a $826.64 million federal grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); Amtrak and the State of Connecticut will fund the remainder.
“Amtrak is thrilled to join our partners to break ground on the new Connecticut River Bridge, a project decades in the making,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “When completed, this modern bridge will improve the customer experience by eliminating delays, providing faster journeys and modernizing another critical infrastructure asset in Connecticut that benefits the entire Northeast Corridor. Today’s [Sept. 5] milestone would not be possible without funding from the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and continued support from the Biden-Harris Administration along with Connecticut’s champions of rail in Governor [Ned] Lamont, Sen. [Richard] Blumenthal [D-Conn.], Sen. [Chris] Murphy [D-Conn.], Rep. [Joe] Courtney [D-Conn.], [Connecticut Transportation] Commissioner [Garrett] Eucalitto and so many others.”
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration—and the largest investment in passenger rail since Amtrak was founded—we’re replacing the century-old Connecticut River Bridge with a safer, more reliable structure,” U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg said. “This bridge is a critical point for freight and passenger rail and maritime traffic along the Northeast, and the new bridge will deliver the faster, more reliable service Americans deserve.”
“Rebuilding the Connecticut River Bridge is a transformational investment for the future of passenger rail service in the Northeast Corridor,” Garrett Eucalitto added. “With modern engineering and design, the new bridge will accommodate growing ridership demand, faster and more reliable travel times, and stimulate the local and regional economy. Thank you to the FRA for investing in Connecticut through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We look forward to working closely with our partners at Amtrak as this project moves forward.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has enabled long overdue transportation upgrades like the Connecticut River Bridge Project along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor,” said Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO President Greg Regan. “We’re proud that this project will utilize union workers, providing an economic boost to surrounding communities, and will improve service on America’s busiest passenger rail line.”
