FRA releases draft environmental documents for Long Bridge project

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) are soliciting public comment on the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and other draft documents related to the proposed Long Bridge project.

A public hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 22 and public comments on the documents will be accepted until Oct. 28, according to an FRA announcement.

The DDOT, in coordination with the FRA, has been studying the potential rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge, which crosses the Potomac River between Washington D.C. and Virginia. Owned by CSX, the existing two-track bridge is used by freight trains as well as Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express passenger trains.

The 1.8-mile study area is between the RO Interlocking near Long Bridge Park in Arlington, Virginia, and the L'Enfant Interlocking near 10th Street SW in Washington, D.C., according to the Long Bridge Project website.

Built in 1904, the current Long Bridge is the only freight railroad crossing over the Potomac between the district and Virginia. Norfolk Southern Railway also has trackage rights on the bridge and connecting CSX tracks.