CSX Celebrates the Reopening of the Expanded Howard Street Tunnel

CSX announced on Sept. 26 announced the re-opening of the expanded Howard Street Tunnel, a historic and transformative $450+ million infrastructure project that will modernize freight rail transportation along the East Coast. The project marks a major milestone in the decades of effort by state, federal, and private partners to deliver a long-sought boost to Maryland’s economy and the nation’s supply chain.

A progressive design-build contract was awarded to a joint venture comprising Skanska and Fay, S&B USA Construction (Skanska-Fay JV). Hatch served as the lead design engineer. STV, in partnership with Michael Baker International, was contracted by CSX to serve as the program manager and construction manager for this major initiative.

Improvement entailed track-lowering and tunnel enlargement techniques across the 1.7-mile expanse of the Howard Street Tunnel to increase the tunnel height from 19 to 21 feet, along with drainage improvements. Construction was undertaken with trains actively using the tracks.

““The completion of the Howard Street Tunnel reflects the dedication of our people — a once-in-a-generation achievement that will drive commerce, jobs, and growth across Maryland and the East Coast for decades,” said Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of CSX. “This project reinforces CSX’s position as a high-performing, customer-focused railroad investing for profitable growth.”

Originally built from 1890-95, the Howard Street Tunnel has been a vital artery in America’s transportation network for more than 125 years. With the tunnel project completed, and once additional clearance projects are complete in early 2026, a key I-95 corridor bottleneck will be cleared and double-stacked intermodal trains will move through Baltimore. With this upgrade, CSX builds on its record of having the fastest and most efficient freight rail route along the I-95 corridor, giving customers a clear service advantage from Florida to the Northeast. The project also unlocks new lane-conversion opportunities, enabling shippers to shift even more freight from highway to rail.

The project was delivered through a partnership between CSX, the State of Maryland, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Together, these partners invested in modernizing a 19th-century tunnel to meet today’s freight demands while preserving its historic character.

“With the Howard Street Tunnel’s reopening, CSX is now able to unleash the full strength of our network ahead of schedule, removing a long-standing volume constraint along the I-95 corridor,” said Mike Cory, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at CSX. “Even while navigating this and other major infrastructure projects over the last year, CSX has maintained the strong performance that customers have come to rely on. With this project now complete, our network is stronger than ever, underscoring the adaptability of our system and strength of the ONE CSX culture.”

The overall project is expected to provide the East Coast with seamless double-stack capacity on rail. Double-stacking is a more cost-effective way to transport freight by rail compared to trucks, reducing congestion along the busy I-95 corridor, and delivering environmental benefits with less emissions. It will also increase business at the Port of Baltimore by approximately 160,000 containers annually and generate more than 13,000 new jobs.

Key facts from the Howard Street Tunnel’s expansion include:

• Over 450,000+ man hours worked to date, peaking at 175 field craft, 20 subcontractors, and peak salaried supervision staff of 40 engaged in the expansion
• 233 consecutive days of 24/7 work in the tunnel (Feb. 5 thru Sept. 25)
• 1,128 dewatering wellpoints installed
• 1,188 PCIS (precast invert slabs) placed, weighing in at nearly 10 tons each
• 14,276 linear feet of wall drain installed
• Over 4,000 cubic yards of concrete placed
• Over 24,000 cubic feet of grout placed (mixed by hand)
• Over 25,000 cubic yards of excavated invert material removed from within tunnel
• Over 78,000 linear feet of temporary electrical cable installed

CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural and consumer products. For nearly 200 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation’s economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation’s population resides. It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com.