An annual congressional appropriations bill passed on Wednesday discusses a new bridge project, breaking ground across the Potomac River between Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
The House passed this year’s Financial Services and General Government bill on Wednesday, mentioning in the funding bill its support for the “Long Bridge Project,” which would create a new railway bridge across the river to separate freight traffic from passenger traffic.
Construction work has recently begun on the new cross-Potomac bridge, which will be situated adjacent to the existing Long Bridge, built in 1904. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority had its groundbreaking ceremony for the project in October 2024. The overall project will include five new railway bridges and two new pedestrian and bicycle bridges.
The project is estimated to cost $2.3 billion, utilizing a combination of federal funds, Virginia state funds, and funds from both Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority received a $729 million federal-state partnership grant and another $20 million from the Federal Railroad Administration in December 2023 for the project.
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The House-passed text of the FSGG bill does not set aside any specific funding numbers for the Long Bridge Project. The text reads, “Section 244 of the Revised Statutes of the United States relating to the District of Columbia (sec. 9–1201.03, D.C. Official Code) does not apply with respect to any railroads installed pursuant to the Long Bridge Project.”
In 2024, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority anticipates that the project will be completed by 2030.
