CSX launches app to aid businesses during Virginia tunnel reconstruction

CSX Corp. has launched "The Neighborhood Guide," a new mobile web app to help support local businesses in southeast Washington, D.C., where CSX is replacing the Virginia Avenue Tunnel.

The Class I created the app to promote area businesses to construction personnel and project staff who will be working in the area during the tunnel reconstruction project, CSX officials said in a press release.

The geolocation-enabled app lists nearby shops and recreation, provides special promotions from local merchants and identifies convenient places to park. CSX partnered with Barracks Row Main Street and the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District to ensure that all local businesses are represented, officials said.

CSX is replacing the 110-year-old Virginia Avenue Tunnel with a two-track structure designed to eliminate a bottleneck in the D.C. region's rail network while facilitating the transport of double-stacked containerized freight. The project is expected to last 30 to 42 months.