Amtrak officials say passengers on the Northeast Corridor will soon see increased construction activity in West Baltimore as a contractor ramps up work on the Frederick Douglass Tunnel project, a $6 billion initiative to replace the 153-year-old Baltimore & Potomac (B&P) Tunnel between Penn Station in midtown and the MARC station in West Baltimore.
Project Details
The increased activity is preparatory work by Amtrak’s tunneling contractor as it gets ready to launch the first of two tunnel-boring machines in 2028. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2036. The new Frederick Douglass Tunnel, named for the Maryland-born abolitionist and orator who lived from 1818 to 1895, will be approximately two miles long and has been designed to support travel speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
The federal government is providing $4.5 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; Amtrak is contributing roughly $750 million and the State of Maryland is committing $450 million. The money is being used to dig the twin tubes for the tunnel; rebuild five roadway and railroad bridges along the track alignment; construct the West Baltimore MARC station and establish a $50 million Community Investment Fund for West Baltimore neighborhoods near the construction zone.
Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.
