FHWA’s decision marks the completion of an extensive environmental review of the project conducted jointly with the District of Columbia Department of Transportation and incorporating three years of input from residents, businesses, and government agencies in the Southeast Washington, D.C., neighborhood around the tunnel.
CSX and its design/build contractor, Clark/Parsons, will now finalize the tunnel design and begin applying for construction permits in compliance with Washington D.C.’s established construction-permitting process. Following the initial permitting process, utility relocations and other preliminary efforts will begin. Major construction is expected to begin in the next several months, following receipt of the required permits.
CSX said its Virginia Avenue Tunnel team “has voluntarily committed to hire workers and select contractors consistent with the spirit of the District of Columbia’s First Source and Certified Business Enterprise programs.”
“In response to feedback from nearby residents, the alternative selected through this process has the shortest construction time span (30 to 42 months) of any of the construction alternatives considered and ensures that trains will always operate in enclosed tunnels in front of nearby residences,” CSX said. “The plan includes significant measures to reduce the construction impacts on nearby residences and businesses, including dust, noise and vibration monitoring and control plans; limited construction hours; and maintenance-of-traffic plans that ensure continued pedestrian access and vehicle mobility for all essential services throughout the process.”
The Virginia Avenue Tunnel is part of CSX’s National Gateway, described as “an initiative to improve the flow of rail traffic throughout the nation by increasing the use of doublestack intermodal trains and creating more efficient rail routes that link Mid-Atlantic ports with Midwestern markets for domestic and imported products. It is one of several infrastructure investments CSX is making to meet the growing demand to move more freight by rail across its network. The Virginia Avenue Tunnel, one of the largest components of the National Gateway program, is receiving no Federal funds.”
The Federal government approved the proposal to modernize the 110-year old tunnel, which will improve the flow of freight traffic through the District of Columbia and eliminate a rail traffic bottleneck that also impacts commuter and Amtrak trains in the region.
“The Virginia Avenue Tunnel is a critical piece of our national and regional transportation infrastructure,” said CSX Vice President Strategic Infrastructure Initiatives Louis E. Renjel, Jr. “Reconstructing the aging tunnel will eliminate a long-standing rail bottleneck that impacts freight and passenger rail, and it will increase the network’s capacity ahead of anticipated growth in freight rail traffic. Through CSX’s commitment to the community, neighbors will enjoy improved streetscapes, additional green spaces, a new bike trail, and other improvements as part of the project.
“While this decision is the end of the Federal environmental review process, it is just the beginning of a new phase of CSX’s relationship with the community. Input from residents shaped many features of this project and we are appreciative of their involvement. We are committed to doing this project the right way: safely, respecting our neighbors, and working closely with residents and businesses to minimize impacts and to ensure that they are informed about construction plans.”
CSX plans to use a new website, social media, events, briefings, and other tools to maintain the flow of information to area residents and businesses. The company has an established community office in the neighborhood that is staffed during regular hours to allow visitors to learn more about the project and ask specific questions of company representatives.
The record of decision is available for review and downloading at www.virginiaavenuetunnel.com.