Award:Rail bridge

Value: $1 billion

Location: Washington, D.C.

Client:Virginia Passenger Rail Authority

A joint venture of Stockholm-based Skanska and Broomfield, Colorado-based FlatironDragados has won a $1 billion contract to build the Long Bridge North project in Washington, D.C.

The roughly 1-mile rail link, constructed for the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, will stretch from East Potomac Park to D.C.'s Le'Enfant Interlocking. The bridge is the first part of a major two-phased initiative to expand freight and passenger rail service in the corridor. 

The Long Bridge North project is part of the broader, 1.8-mile Long Bridge project that will replace the existing two-track system from D.C. into Arlington, Virginia, with a series of linked, four-track modern rail bridges and corridors. The intent is to ease traffic and congestion.

The broader effort will also include a new bike or pedestrian bridge that will span the Potomac River and connect the Long Bridge Park directly to East and West Potomac Parks, according to the project page.

The refurbished eastern tracks, currently serving freight and passenger traffic, will primarily serve CSX freight rail, while the newly built western tracks will cater mainly to passenger services provided by the Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express. 

Annually, 2 million Amtrak passengers and 3 million VRE commuters traverse the current Long Bridge, which operates at 98% capacity during peak hours, according to the project page. 

All told, 1.8 miles of rail along seven new bridges will make up the $2.3 billion overall project, which has been in the works since 2011, per the project page. Construction is set to begin this month with completion aiming for the fourth quarter of 2030, per the FlatironDragados release. 

“Skanska is proud to be leading the construction team and work for the Long Bridge North Project, which will vastly improve freight and passenger rail service in the Capital Region,” Michael Viggiano, executive vice president of Skanska USA Civil, said in a release. “With funding in place and planning and approvals now complete, this highly complex and critical infrastructure project is shovel ready.”

Skanska’s share of the overall contract is $658 million, according to a company release. FlatironDragados did not specify its share of the contract.