Officials Kick Off Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — Officials have kicked off Amtrak's Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project, which is a two-track bridge located in Havre de Grace and Perryville.

Built in 1906, the Susquehanna River Bridge is owned by Amtrak and used by Amtrak, the Maryland Area Regional Commuter rail and Norfolk Southern Railway to carry passenger and freight trains across the Susquehanna River. As the longest moveable bridge on the NEC, the bridge will be replaced with new structures designed to boost capacity, trip time and safety, according to Amtrak.

The first pre-construction work includes removing bridge piers from the Susquehanna River and making utility upgrades in Perryville. In the Susquehanna River, an Amtrak contractor is demolishing and removing 10 piers. These leftover piers remain from an 1866 railroad bridge that was located just east of the existing bridge and had its superstructure removed several decades ago, Amtrak stated.

In Perryville, Amtrak is working with two local utility companies to complete upgrades necessary before construction of the first bridge can begin. Baltimore Gas & Electric will replace the existing 1930s-era transmission tower that exclusively feeds power to an Amtrak substation, and in turn, the electrified NEC. Delmarva is relocating aerial power lines underground to make way for the project, eliminate future aerial conflicts and provide a more reliable service to the town and customers. This early work sets the state for the start of bridge construction later next year, the company stated.

When completed, the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project will, according to Amtrak:

• Increase passenger rail capacity with two new two-track bridges (compared to just two tracks today)
• Modernize and improve five miles of track, catenary and signals, including three interlockings
• Improve reliability and safety
• Increase trains speeds with a higher maximum speed of 160 mph, enabling faster trip times
• Eliminate conflicts with maritime traffic due to the new, higher fixed-span bridges