Amtrak awarded O&G/Tutor Perini joint venture a USD 1.3 billion contract for the construction of the new Connecticut River rail Bridge situated on the New York – Providence of the Northeast Corridor (NEC). This project is being delivered through a design-bid-build contract. Design is 100% complete and construction is set to begin in late 2024.
Amtrak previously awarded a construction management (CM) contract to Aecom, who will assist Amtrak with management of the construction contractor, document control, schedule and budget oversight, and community outreach support.
The project consists of the construction of a new double-track bridge to replace the existing two-track Connecticut River Bridge between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme towns.
The “milestone brings us one step closer to putting shovels in the ground and kicking off construction for this major project,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said.
The USD 1.3 billion project is primarily funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), thanks to a USD 826.64 million federal grant awarded by FRA. The remaining portion will be funded by Amtrak and the State of Connecticut.
The new moveable bridge will be located immediately south of the existing moveable bridge, featuring modern track, signal, catenary, power, communication and other supporting rail infrastructure. It is designed with a maximum operating speed of 70 mph (112 km/h), a 55% increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph (72 km/h). Maritime navigation and safety will also improve due to additional vertical clearance compared with the existing bridge.
The existing 1,500-foot-long Connecticut River Bridge opened in 1907 and is one of several moveable rail bridges along the NEC. Today, it serves more than 50 daily Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela trains, CTrail Shore Line East service and various freight trains. The unreliability of the aging bridge, due to its failure to open and close consistently, results in cascading delays to rail and maritime traffic.
The new Connecticut River rail 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). This is one of several passenger rail improvement projects in the State of Connecticut, including the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Devon Bridge and Walk Bridge replacement projects, among others.
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