CSXT plans for Virginia Avenue Tunnel replacement

One of the worst rail bottlenecks on the east coast is Washington's Virginia Avenue Tunnel, Greater Greater Washington reports. While the tunnel originally carried two tracks, it was narrowed to one to allow taller and wider freight cars. With growing freight rail traffic across the United States, the century-old tunnel is in dire need of replacement.

As a part of CSX
Transportation’s National Gateway
initiative, the railroad wants to rebuild the tunnel to have two tracks and a
higher clearance. This will, in conjunction with other improvements in the
region, allow double-stack trains to travel from the Port of Baltimore to the
Southeast and trains from the Southeast to travel to the Midwest.

The Virginia Avenue
Tunnel project will also reduce congestion for commuter rail riders in the
region caused by freight trains waiting for their turn to use the tunnel. In
conjunction with other improvements, the tunnel project will allow Amtrak,
MARC, and VRE to add more trains in the future.

The 4,000-foot-long
tunnel runs for nine blocks under Virginia Avenue in Southeast Washington. It
carries CSXT freight trains from an eastern portal at 11th Street to a western
portal near at 2nd Street. Freight traffic traveling from the Southeastern
United States to lines running to the Midwest and Northeast must pass through
the Virginia Avenue Tunnel. No passenger trains operate through the tunnel
because those trains travel through Union Station and the First Street Tunnel.

On a recent afternoon,
CSXT invited several bloggers for an update on the status of the project.

The National Gateway
project as a whole got a boost earlier this year when it was awarded a TIGER
grant for $98 million to raise clearances at 38 locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania
and West Virginia. There are a remaining 23 projects that must be undertaken,
including 13 projects in the region, before CSXT’s National Gateway will allow
double-stack trains to travel between ports on the east coast and Chicago.

The single largest
clearance project remaining is the Virginia Avenue Tunnel, which is expected to
cost $160 million to replace. CSXT is still hoping to receive federal funding
for the project, which is contingent to its construction. CSXT is looking
toward the transportation reauthorization as one source of funding for the
project, but President Obama has put that on the back burner. Another round of
TIGER could also provide gains for the project. The U.S. Department of
Transportation has already expressed support in the project by funding a
portion of the National Gateway. Another feather in CSXT’s cap is the support
of six state governors. In fact, Virginia has already spent $26 million toward
the tunnel replacement.

In order to replace the
tunnel, CSXT will undertake a construction program lasting two-to-three years.
It wouldn’t start before late 2011 at the earliest, and CSXT plans to undertake
a NEPA environmental impact statement prior to that, which would take six
months to a year to complete. During the construction period, Virginia Avenue
would be closed between 2nd Street and 11th Street SE. CSXT representatives say
that all cross streets will remain open during construction, with vehicular and
pedestrian access, except for short closings to construct temporary structures
over through the construction site.

During the tunnel
replacement, a temporary trench will be dug south of the existing tunnel. It
would be 20-25-feet wide and about 25 feet deep. Trains would run in this
trench until the tunnel project has been finished. After the tunnel is
complete, the trench will be filled back in.

The tunnel itself will
have it’s top removed. The trackbed will be lowered several feet and the walls
will also be widened. Once this is complete, a new roof will be put on top and
recovered with soil and Virginia Avenue.

All construction will
take place within the right-of-way, which is about 100 feet wide. Although
Virginia Avenue would be closed, access will be maintained to properties
throughout the process. One of the most difficult areas to work around is the
new development that is currently under construction along Virginia Avenue
between 3rd and 4th Streets SE. CSXT officials said that they would consider
decking over the trench in this area if necessary to maintain access.

After the tunnel is
complete and the trench refilled, the Virginia Avenue corridor will see some
improvements, including new streetscaping and furniture. Additionally, a
bikeway linking to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail will be constructed along the
Virginia Avenue axis.

But benefits will extend
beyond Southeast DC. Commuters on MARC’s Brunswick and Camden Lines and on both
VRE lines will see fewer delays. With more freight moving by rail, drivers will
also see fewer trucks on the roads and less pollution in the air.