Baltimore Amtrak tunnel replacement would cost $4 billion

Associated Press//December 1, 2016//

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The entrance to the Baltimore & Potomac rail tunnel as seen from N. Vincent Street in West Baltimore. (The Daily Record / Maximilian Franz)

The Federal Railroad Administration is proposing a $4 billion project to replace a 143-year-old Amtrak tunnel beneath Baltimore that is a major bottleneck in the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington.

The agency said Thursday that the project is the preferred alternative in a final environmental impact statement . The administration says it expects to decide next spring whether to approve it.

The agency says rebuilding the 1.4-mile Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel would allow for more and faster trains.

The administration says the project would displace 22 residential properties, including five that are vacant.

The Baltimore Sun reported in February that many people who spoke at a public hearing said they feared that the noise and vibration from the trains would disrupt their communities.

Tags: amtrak, tunnel

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