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Date: 6/29/2023
ENFIELD — Amtrak has submitted applications for $7.3 billion in Federal Railroad Administration funding for 14 proposed Northeast Corridor projects including the Springfield Line Connecticut River Bridge Replacement Project with the support of the Connecticut Department of Transportation to modernize and upgrade rail infrastructure projects along the Northeast Corridor.
This particular project would replace the current bridge between Enfield and Windsor Locks. According to documentation from the Northeast Corridor Capital Investment Plan for fiscal years 2023-27, the project will replace the existing single track bridge with anew double track bridge. The new bridge would purportedly increase speeds and make it easier for trains to maintain scheduled arrival and departure times.
Senior Public Relations Manager Jason Abrams stated, “Amtrak applied for funding to study and plan the replacement of Amtrak’s existing single-track Connecticut River Bridge with a new double-track bridge, increasing speeds for both intercity and commuter trains, eliminating capacity bottlenecks, and improving on time performance. The aging infrastructure and single-track operating limitation cannot accommodate future growth of travel demand on this service corridor.”
Construction is set to start in 2024. The new bridge has been designed to be more durable and reliable by utilizing modern components for the movable bridge’s mechanical and electrical systems. The design focuses on easing long-term maintenance, which will contribute to the overall reliability of the bridge. It is also being designed to provide 6 feet of additional clearance to support better maritime uses along the river by maintaining navigation and reduce restrictions while the bridge is lowered to allow the passage of trains.
Enfield Mayor Robert Cressotti said, “The Connecticut River Bridge is a vital piece of infrastructure. Over the years the rail needed frequent maintenance. The replacement of the structure is critical to maintaining a strong economy for the state and the entire Northeast Corridor.”
He continued, “Now that Amtrak has made a commitment to upgrading to a two-track electrified resilient movable bridge structure is pretty exciting especially with the new communication and security features that are going to be implemented with this project.”
Cressotti is looking forward to it because they have a project that is in the works. The plans are about 90% complete with their train station which runs right along the Connecticut River and goes through the Thompsonville section of Enfield.
“It’s pretty exciting knowing we also have our project along the way so I’m glad that Amtrak is making a commitment and our plans are going full steam ahead for our train station here in town,” Cressotti added.
Amtrak will continue to coordinate with various agencies at both the state and federal level to secure the necessary environmental permits for this project.