Amtrak will soon begin construction of a new, modern Connecticut River Bridge to replace the existing bridge following the award of a construction contract to O&G/Tutor Perini, a Joint Venture.

The milestone comes on the heels of recent permit approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The Connecticut River Bridge

The new Connecticut River Bridge will improve reliability and reduce delays for Amtrak’s intercity services, Connecticut Shore Line East commuter service, and freight operators along the Northeast Corridor (NEC), America’s busiest rail corridor.

The Connecticut River Bridge is one of several passenger rail improvement projects in the State of Connecticut, including the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Devon Bridge and Walk Bridge replacement projects, among others.

“Today’s milestone brings us one step closer to putting shovels in the ground and kicking off construction for this major project,” said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner.

Amtrak will construct a new two-track bridge to replace the existing two-track Connecticut River Bridge between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Conn. — roughly midway between New York City and Providence, R.I.

The new moveable bridge will be located immediately south of the existing moveable bridge, featuring modern track, signal, catenary, power, communication, and other supporting rail infrastructure.

It is designed with a maximum operating speed of 70 mph, a 55% increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph.

Maritime navigation and safety will also improve due to additional vertical clearance compared with the existing bridge.

Funding for the Project

The project is being delivered through a Design-Bid-Build contract. The design is 100% complete and construction is set to begin in late summer/early fall 2024.

Amtrak also previously awarded a construction management (CM) contract to AECOM, who will assist Amtrak with management of the construction contractor, document control, schedule and budget oversight, and community outreach support. This team will be fully integrated with Amtrak’s in-house Capital Delivery department and the construction contractor.

The approximately $1.3 billion project is primarily funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), thanks to a $826.64 million federal grant awarded by FRA. The remaining portion will be funded by Amtrak and the State of Connecticut.

The project is key to Amtrak’s new era of passenger rail, which includes investments into modern trains, stations, tunnels, bridges, and other critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the customer experience, improve safety and reliability, and expand capacity to serve more future customers.