A FlatironDragados and Herzog team is set to break ground this month on the $414 million Franconia-Springfield Bypass, per a July 17 release from Broomfield, Colorado-based FlatironDragados.
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s project will allow passenger and freight trains to move more safely and efficiently through one of the most congested rail corridors in Virginia, between Fredericksburg and Washington, D.C., per the release. The joint venture will build approximately 1.4 miles of passenger railroad track, including a 0.6-mile-long rail flyover bypass bridge over the existing CSX freight tracks in Springfield, Virginia.
The bypass will cross over two mainline freight tracks so passenger trains can reach the VRE Franconia-Springfield station without delay and circumvent the current bottleneck with freight traffic, according to FlatironDragados’ project website. It will be the second such structure in the U.S., Railway Technology reported, and existing tracks will be shifted to accommodate the new construction.
The construction manager/general contractor project scope includes retaining walls, extensive site grading and drainage improvements, per the project website. Other agencies involved in the project are CSX Transportation, Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.
“This project will provide safer, more efficient rail service by reducing congestion and improving reliability,” said FlatironDragados Executive Vice President Jim Schneiderman in the release. “As construction begins, our team will continue to collaborate with VPRA and other stakeholders to identify innovative solutions to challenges as we transform rail infrastructure in this key market.”
St Joseph, Missouri-based Herzog has been conducting utility relocations and other proconstruction work since last year in a live track environment around more than 70 daily CSXT and Amtrak trains, according to the firm’s project webpage.
Per FlatironDragados, the project aims to protect sensitive wetland and wildlife and minimize community impacts by using:
- A beam launcher system to erect bridge steel girders.
- Extensive logistical planning to haul more than 400,000 cubic yards of earthworks.
- Dewatering schemes within a confined alignment.
- Undercutting to achieve adequate subgrade conditions.
- Underground drainage detention systems and jack and bore culverts to enable a streamlined site drainage system.
The project is being funded through federal, state and local contributions, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. VPRA, Amtrak and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority have each committed funding for various phases of the project.
Construction work is set to begin this month, with completion slated for 2029.
