Work is under way on a two-track passenger rail bridge designed to ease congestion on an adjacent 119-year-old CSX steel truss crossing, with activity set to ramp up in January 2026. Alongside it, a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle bridge will link Arlington’s Long Bridge Park to Washington’s riverfront. The US$2.3 billion Long Bridge Project will double rail capacity at one of the country’s busiest rail chokepoints.
The new rail bridge will be a steel girder structure that incorporates crash walls and a fender system to protect piers within the Potomac navigation channel. The pedestrian and bike bridge will be an independent girder-type span with a 4.3m wide deck, vertical safety barriers, integrated lighting and ADA-compliant ramps.
Planned as a modern multimodal gateway, the project integrates rail, active travel and urban connectivity. Managed by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, it is divided into two packages. The North Package, already in progress, runs from the Potomac River to L’Enfant Plaza under a progressive design-build contract led by Skanska and Flatiron Dragados. The South Package, starting spring 2026, covers the new rail span and the pedestrian/bike crossing, delivered by Long Bridge Rail Partners – a joint venture of Trumbull Corporation, Fay, S&B USA Construction, and Wagman Heavy Civil – with STV as lead designer.
Temporary works, including a rail diversion bridge, will be installed by late 2026 to maintain rail operations during bridge construction. Completion is scheduled for 2030. Once finished, the corridor will feature four tracks, separating passenger and freight traffic to improve reliability for Amtrak and VRE services from Boston to Miami. The active travel bridge will provide a safe, scenic link between Virginia and D.C., connecting the Jefferson Memorial and East Potomac Park to the Mount Vernon Trail and other northern Virginia amenities.
