Amtrak has appointed the Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture as its Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contractor for the building of two new bridges.

The contract also includes associated track work, and two supporting contracts will progress the replacement of the existing 117-year-old Susquehanna River Rail Bridge.

The awarding of the contract – announced on Friday – follows a twelve-month competitive procurement process that began in 2022 and was supplemented by extensive industry outreach, including an “Industry Day” that helped build interest in this key Northeast Corridor (NEC) project.

The Susquehanna River Rail Bridge project is one of the infrastructure improvements being funded by a grant of nearly ten billion pounds from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

The FRA awarded up to $2.08 billion in grant funding to support final design and construction for this project, part of a total of more than $16.4 billion of federal investment across the North East Corridor. Amtrak will replace the existing two-track movable bridge with two newly-constructed two-track fixed bridges, adding overhead power, signal, safety and security system modernisation.

The Susquehanna River Rail Bridge is the longest moveable bridge on the NEC, and is used by Amtrak, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail and Norfolk Southern, which between then run more than 110 passenger and freight trains each day. Trains have to slow to a speed of 90 mph to cross the bridge, which restricts capacity and reliability.

The CMAR delivery method is an innovative approach, which Amtrak also applied in its first major construction contract for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program.

Amtrak has awarded two other contracts to help progress the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Replacement Program. One of these is a project and construction management contract, which the operator has awarded to a team led by AECOM which will be integrated with the Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture.

Amtrak has also appointed Fay Construction to demolish and remove ten remnant piers. These are left over from the rail bridge built in 1866 just to the east of the existing bridge. Fay Construction will begin demolishing the remnant piers in early 2024 and expects the work to take around one year.

The two new bridges will be built in phases. Final design work is underway, and will be completed by the end of 2024. Construction will begin in 2025.

Amit Bose, FRA Administrator, said, “The Susquehanna River Bridge is vital to the Northeast Corridor and the Nation, and the Federal Railroad Administration is pleased to see progress to replace the current 117-year-old bridge. Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and with funds in his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re finally replacing and repairing aging bridges and tunnels and modernizing infrastructure of national significance on America’s busiest rail corridor, and we’re advancing projects nationwide that will help deliver world-class passenger rail to more Americans.”

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) said, “Rail infrastructure in Maryland plays a vital role in our state’s economy and on the Northeast Corridor. With progress on the Susquehanna Bridge Replacement Program, we are seeing the impact of federal investment through the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to advance projects to upgrade this critical infrastructure.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) commented, “Thousands of Marylanders take MARC and Amtrak trains over the Susquehanna River Bridge every day, yet this critical bridge was built over 100 years ago and is long overdue to be replaced. That’s why funding this project was top of mind when we worked to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These contract awards mean new good-paying union jobs are coming to Harford County, and improved rail service is on the horizon for Marylanders and visitors alike.”

Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD-01) said, “I am pleased to see that the process of replacing the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge is moving along efficiently. Replacing this heavily used and older bridge will improve the safety of all travelers, including maritime traffic below it, and create economic opportunity for residents of the first district.”

Holly Arnold, Administrator MTA, commented, “We’re proud to partner with Amtrak on such an important project. Investments in infrastructure such as this will ensure that transit has a bright future in Maryland.”

Amtrak Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery, Laura Mason, said, “With the award of these contracts, we are one step closer to breaking ground on this crucial project that will unlock a significant bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor, reduce trip times and improve reliability for passenger and freight travel across the northeast. We appreciate the Biden-Harris Administration and FRA for the historic funding that has enabled this project to advance, as well as our funding partners at Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) for their support.”