FRA, District DOT to host public meeting on Long Bridge project

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in Washington, D.C., will host a meeting Feb. 10 to gather public input on the replacement or rehabilitation of the Long Bridge.

The meeting is part of the Long Bridge Phase II study, which is underway. The existing two-track bridge is owned by CSX and serves freight, Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) trains.

Constructed in 1904, the bridge crosses the Potomac River and provides the only railroad crossing between the District of Columbia and Virginia.

The study area extends 2.2 miles, starting at the RO Interlocking in Arlington, Va., and extending northwest along the existing rail alignment to the CP/Virginia Interlocking in the District of Columbia, east of L'Enfant.

DDOT, in partnership with the FRA, VRE and the Virginia Department of Rail and Transportation is pursuing the study to address the bridge's potential replacement or rehabilitation.

A new bridge would meet future capacity needs of high-speed intercity passenger rail service on the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor and Northeast Corridor; expanded commuter-rail services, namely VRE and potentially Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) trains; and increased freight rail traffic, namely CSX and potentially Norfolk Southern Railway, according to the project website.