Reported by Travel and Tour World
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, alongside U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Representative Joe Courtney, Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, and other local officials, marked the beginning of construction on the new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Connecticut.
The current bridge, completed in 1907, accommodates over 50 daily Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela trains, as well as CTrail Shore Line East commuter and freight trains. During peak boating season, the bridge opens frequently for maritime traffic, but its aging infrastructure often causes delays for both rail and maritime operations due to inconsistent performance.
The new moveable bridge, featuring a trunnion bascule span design, will include upgraded track, signal systems, catenary, power, communications, and other essential infrastructure. It will increase the maximum train speed from 45 mph to 70 mph, a 55% improvement, while enhancing maritime navigation with greater vertical clearance.
This project will ensure continued connectivity along the Northeast Corridor (NEC), the busiest passenger rail line in the U.S., while supporting future plans to expand intercity rail service both regionally and nationally.
Amtrak awarded the construction contract earlier this summer and hosted a public meeting to inform the community. Rail service will continue throughout the project, which is scheduled for completion by 2031.
The $1.3 billion project is funded in part by an $826.64 million grant from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with the remainder provided by Amtrak and the State of Connecticut.
“Amtrak is thrilled to join our partners to break ground on the new Connecticut River Bridge, a project decades in the making,” said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. “When completed, this modern bridge will improve the customer experience by eliminating delays, providing faster journeys and modernizing another critical infrastructure asset in Connecticut that benefits the entire Northeast Corridor. Today’s milestone would not be possible without funding from the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and continued support from the Biden-Harris Administration along with Connecticut’s champions of rail in Governor Lamont, Senator Blumenthal, Senator Murphy, Congressman Courtney, Commissioner Eucalitto and so many others.”
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration—and the largest investment in passenger rail since Amtrak was founded—we’re replacing the century-old Connecticut River Bridge with a safer, more reliable structure,” said U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “This bridge is a critical point for freight and passenger rail and maritime traffic along the Northeast, and the new bridge will deliver the faster, more reliable service Americans deserve.”