Amtrak Trims Scope on $6B Baltimore Tunnel Project as Construction Advances
Amtrak’s $6 billion Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel Replacement program is moving forward with a trimmed scope, Construction Dive reports, as the passenger railroad works to control costs amid tough construction market conditions.
Project Update
Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration eliminated an intermediate ventilation facility and a connecting smaller tunnel from the design, a change that also addresses community complaints from Baltimore’s Reservoir Hill neighborhood, which sued in 2024 over noise, waste and rodent concerns tied to the facility. The team also raised the tunnel’s track alignment at its deepest point by 10 to 22 feet, cutting excavation needs while keeping the tunnel’s maximum depth at about 150 feet below street level.
Work is progressing on multiple fronts. Crews advanced construction on the new Mulberry Street railroad bridge, the first of five bridges being rebuilt under the program. In March, teams broke through the final rock pillar on a 345-foot-long utility tunnel that will carry water, sewer, communications and electrical lines beneath the tracks when complete in 2027. Herrenknecht’s boring machines are now underway on the twin tunnel tubes, with the first machine 50% complete, according to Amtrak.
ADVANCE, an AECOM-Jacobs joint venture, is the project delivery partner. A Clark Construction and Stacy Witbeck JV holds the construction manager at risk contract for the southern approach, awarded in 2023, while a Kiewit and J.F. Shea Construction JV won the CMAR contract in 2024 for the tunnel’s design and construction. “Replacing the 153-year-old B&P Tunnel is critical to improving safety and reliability along the Northeast Corridor, America’s busiest passenger railroad,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris, adding that the tunnel is slated to open in 2036.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Heavy-civil and utility subcontractors should watch for packages tied to the 10-mile rail infrastructure upgrade and local street and bridge improvements, which run alongside the main tunnel work through 2036.
- Firms with rock excavation, shoring or deep foundation experience can position for work under the Kiewit/J.F. Shea CMAR contract as tunnel boring ramps up on the second Herrenknecht machine.
- Bridge trades, including structural steel and concrete subcontractors, should track the remaining four bridge reconstructions following Mulberry Street, as those packages will likely flow through ADVANCE (AECOM-Jacobs) or the Clark Construction/Stacy Witbeck JV on the southern approach.
- Electrical and utility contractors should note the 345-foot utility tunnel, completing in 2027, as an early indicator of sequencing for communications, sewer and electrical relocation work tied to the broader program.
- Local trades in West Baltimore should monitor procurement tied to the new West Baltimore MARC station, a scope item confirmed in the program but without a stated contract award yet.
