The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) has awarded a $414m contract to build the Franconia-Springfield rail bypass to a joint venture of FlatironDragados and Herzog.
Located some 15 miles south of Washington, DC, the bypass will elevate passenger tracks for just over half a mile so passenger trains can cross over freight tracks without stopping.
VPRA says the problem is that passenger stations south of the bypass area are on the east side of the tracks’ bed but, north of it, they’re on the west side.
As it is, passenger and freight trains can switch sides but it creates a bottleneck between Fredericksburg and the US capital, one of the most congested points in Virginia’s rail network.
The 0.6-mile-long flyover bridge will eliminate the at-grade conflict, increasing capacity and safety.
The JV will build a single track on the bridge but there will be room for a second in the future.
Work starts this month, with completion expected in 2029.
Rail freight company CSXT, Amtrak, and Virginia Railway Express are among the agencies overseeing the project area.
“This project will provide safer, more efficient rail service by reducing congestion and improving reliability,” said FlatironDragados executive vice president Jim Schneiderman.
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