by davinp
The railroad bridge between DC and Virginia is 113 years old, and in need of replacement.|
Options for doing that include bridges with three, four, and five tracks, each of which could also include bike and pedestrian paths.
The bridge doesn’t work very well these days. Not only is it old, meaning there are structural issues, but it’s also a chokepoint for the different train lines that use it, limiting how many trains can be run between Virginia and DC. 76 trains use the bridge every day currently, but up to 192 are expected to want to cross it by 2040.
Planning work on the replacement alternatives will continue through 2017 and 2018. The detailed EIS with further-narrowed build options is tentatively expected sometime in mid-late 2018, and construction of any new bridge wouldn’t occur until 2020 at the earliest.
While ways to replace the bridge are still being studied and designed, there is no money allocated for the replacement. Funds would likely need to come from DC and Virginia, CSX, and the federal government to actually make the project happen.
Even though it is rusty, VRE says CSX inspect the bridge regularly and says it is safe
https://ggwash.org/view/63462/the-new-l ... rian-paths" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Options for doing that include bridges with three, four, and five tracks, each of which could also include bike and pedestrian paths.
The bridge doesn’t work very well these days. Not only is it old, meaning there are structural issues, but it’s also a chokepoint for the different train lines that use it, limiting how many trains can be run between Virginia and DC. 76 trains use the bridge every day currently, but up to 192 are expected to want to cross it by 2040.
Planning work on the replacement alternatives will continue through 2017 and 2018. The detailed EIS with further-narrowed build options is tentatively expected sometime in mid-late 2018, and construction of any new bridge wouldn’t occur until 2020 at the earliest.
While ways to replace the bridge are still being studied and designed, there is no money allocated for the replacement. Funds would likely need to come from DC and Virginia, CSX, and the federal government to actually make the project happen.
Even though it is rusty, VRE says CSX inspect the bridge regularly and says it is safe
https://ggwash.org/view/63462/the-new-l ... rian-paths" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;