On the heels of the completion of the Long Bridge draft EIS, Virginia has announced plans to fund a new rail bridge - just as the EIS recommended - across the Potomac just upstream of the current bridge, and to acquire 225 miles of track and 350 miles of railroad right of way from CSX for $525 million, including half of the right of way between Washington and Richmond, so that they can expand passenger traffic from DC to North Carolina and across the commonwealth. They also intend to build a new bicycle-pedestrian bridge between the new railroad bridge and the Yellow Line's Fenwick Bridge. Meanwhile, Maryland is going to expand the Beltway.
Virginia will assume about one-third of the cost, using existing rail funding and additional discretionary funds available through the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Federal funds will cover about another third of the price tag, including the $45 million rail share from the Atlantic Gateway grant. Amtrak intends to invest $944 million, state officials said.
Virginia anticipates it will raise the final share from regional partners, including the District and Maryland, as well as VRE and other Northern Virginia transportation boards. The District and Maryland have pledged support for a bridge expansion, though it is unclear how much each would be willing to contribute.
The bridge will create a great new connection between VA and DC and carry that connection over the GW Parkway in the critical 14th Street corridor.
Virginia officials said the state plans to build that pedestrian and bike bridge.
“We are working with our regional partners to determine how it will be funded and implemented,” Virginia Deputy Transportation Secretary Nick Donohue said.
Virginia and North Carolina will be buying 75 miles of abandoned rail right-of-way between Petersburg and Ridgeway, NC that would make a great rail trail, but a better high-speed rail line. Maybe there's even some room in the corridor for some rail with trail. One can dream.
A transportation project of this magnitude is one cyclists should keep their eye on. It's not just the bridge or the way it goes over a major trail. Virginia is going to be doing construction all along the corridor, and each bit of work brings with it opportunities.
Not to get ahead of ourselves, but we're going to need a name for the bike/ped bridge just so we all know what we're talking about.
The railroad bridge isn't even REALLY called the Long Bridge. The first bridge there was the Washington Bridge, but then people started calling it the Long Bridge Across the Potomac to distinguish it from Chain Bridge, and later just Long Bridge. When they built the current bridge it replaced one built in 1872 that carried both rail traffic and carriages. They replaced it with two bridges that were called Highway Bridge and Railroad Bridge. It wasn't until the late 1980's, during planning of the VRE, that the old "Long Bridge" name was reattached to the railroad bridge.
Anyway I'm open to suggestions. Since it will be Virginia's Bridge, they'll probably get to name it so I'm prepared for it to be the Ralph Sampson Bridge or something.
The Courtland Milloy Memorial Bridge.
In all seriousness, why not the Jefferson Bridge? There's no bridges in the area to my knowledge, and it would lead close to the Jefferson Memorial.
Posted by: observer | January 14, 2020 at 10:46 PM
Jefferson is already memorialized. If only she had a tie to Virginia, I'd suggest Belva Lockwood, the first woman to mount a nationwide campaign for the presidency (women couldn't vote yet, but men could vote for her) and the first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court. She was an avid cyclist; she rode a tricycle.
Posted by: Sally M | January 15, 2020 at 08:03 PM
when will this bridge be completed and i can ride a bicycle on it?
Posted by: Michael Ross | February 10, 2020 at 06:24 PM
Who can say, but probably not before 2027 when the rail bridge would open
Posted by: washcycle | February 10, 2020 at 10:42 PM
when will this bridge be completed and i can ride a bicycle on it?
Posted by: Hassan Dawood | March 03, 2020 at 10:13 PM