Amtrak has announced plans to solicit construction bids to replace the Susquehanna River rail bridge, a longstanding bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor.
Built in 1906 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the 4,154-ft-long two-track truss bridge in northeast Maryland has speed restrictions that constrain the movement of more than 110 passenger and freight trains each day. The replacement program, estimated by Amtrak to cost at least $1.5 billion, calls for constructing two two-track fixed bridges, five miles of additional track realignment and construction, and modernization of overhead power, signal, safety and security systems.