Baker to study D.C.-area rail bridge

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Michael Baker Jr., Inc., a unit of Michael Baker Corporation, has been awarded a $1.57 million contract by the District of Columbia Department of Transportation for a comprehensive study of Long Bridge over the Potomac River to assess existing conditions and options for rehabilitation or replacing the bridge crossing in the future. The heavily-used bridge carries traffic for three railroads, CSX (the bridge owner), Amtrak and the Virginia Railway Express and is the sole railroad bridge between the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Under this contract, Baker will review the condition of the existing bridge and identify potential short-term repairs. The second phase of the study will analyze the capacity of the crossing in terms of rail traffic, identify alternatives to improve the multimodal capacity of the crossing in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and identify a preferred approach. The study will be a collaborative effort with the three railroads using the bridge and will include extensive stakeholder coordination with agencies such as the National Park Service, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Virginia Department of Transportation, Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Department of the Interior, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Federal Railroad Administration.

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