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12/7/2023
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) has selected contractors for two Transforming Rail in Virginia projects: a Skanska/Flatiron joint venture for the Long Bridge-North package and a Flatiron/Herzog joint venture for the Franconia-Springfield Bypass.
The Long Bridge-North package will be completed via the progressive design-build project delivery method. The Skanska/Flatiron joint venture team will handle the project from the design phase through construction.
Early prep work is expected to begin in 2024, with full construction to start in early 2025 and completion anticipated in 2030.
The 119-year-old Long Bridge connects Arlington, Virginia, with the District of Columbia and regularly operates at 98% train capacity during peak periods. As a result, additional capacity is necessary to meet future demand and to relieve a major chokepoint for rail traffic along the East Coast, VRPA officials said in a press release. The $2.3 billion project involves constructing a two-track railroad bridge to separate passenger- and freight-rail traffic, and improve trip times and on-time performance for both along the corridor. The Franconia-Springfield Bypass project will be completed via the construction manager/general contractor project delivery method. The $405 million bypass is expected to alleviate train interference at one of the most congested points in Virginia, between Fredericksburg and Washington, D.C.
The 0.9-mile-long, dedicated passenger-rail bridge will be located just south of the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station. Site clearing and early construction work are expected to begin by the end of March 2024, with full construction expected to begin in 2024 and take two years to complete.