Amtrak breaks ground on $1.3B Connecticut River Bridge project

Amtrak, federal, state and local government officials yesterday met to mark the start of construction of Amtrak's new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Connecticut.

The existing bridge, which opens for maritime traffic several times daily in peak boating season, was completed in 1907. It now serves more than than 50 daily Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela trains, CTrail Shore Line East commuter trains and freight trains. The aging bridge’s failure to open and close consistently can result in cascading delays to rail and maritime traffic, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

The new moveable bridge will feature a trunnion bascule span design with modern track, signal, catenary, power, communication and other supporting rail infrastructure. It will support a maximum train operating speed of 70 mph, a 55% increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph. 

Maritime navigation and safety will also improve due to the increased vertical clearance of the new bridge compared to the existing bridge.

The $1.3 billion project is supported by a $826.64 million Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. The remaining portion will be funded by Amtrak and Connecticut.

Rail service will remain in service throughout the project, which is expected to conclude by 2031. Earlier this summer, Amtrak awarded the construction contract to O&G/Tutor Perini.