Page 24 - Port of Baltimore - December 2021

CARGO GROWTH
Working together with CSX, the Howard
Street Tunnel expansion project will increase our business by about 160,000 containers annually and generate more than 14,000 jobs. It will also reduce fuel consumption and generate fewer emissions, which makes it a real economic and environmental win-win!”
— William P. Doyle, MDOT MPA Executive Director
For years, reconstruction of the Howard Street Tunnel to accommodate double-stack trains was estimated to cost between $1 billion and $4 billion, with significant disruption to surrounding communities. By utilizing advances in construction technology, CSX and the State of Maryland have determined
it is possible to provide double-stack clearance for significantly less money and minimal impact to communities.
Now, the project has become
an outstanding example of a public- private partnership between the
State of Maryland, Federal Railroad Administration and CSX. Its current $466 million cost includes $202.5 million from the state, $125 million in a federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant, $113 million from CSX, $22.5 million from Pennsylvania, and $3 million in federal highway formula funding.
“FRA is eager to see the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
essential link in the nation’s supply chain. This investment strengthens that link for generations to come and positions the Port of Baltimore as the primary hub for the East Coast and a major conduit for goods moving across America.”
With its deep container berths
and supersized cranes, including
four new mega-cranes that arrived in September, the Port of Baltimore is among only a few East Coast ports that can accommodate some of the largest container ships in the world. Double-stack capabilities will allow the Port to accommodate expected con- tainer growth in future years. Double stacking will also provide a more cost-effective way to transport freight by rail compared to trucks, reducing congestion along the I-95 corridor and delivering environmental benefits such as fewer emissions. It has been esti- mated that double-stacking containers
will reduce fuel consumption by about 137 million gallons.
Public-Private Partnership Made Project Possible
“CSX is proud to officially break ground on the Howard Street Tunnel project and move forward on an initiative made possible by the collaboration between state, Port and federal partners,” said Foote. “This project will modernize our rail infrastructure in this key corridor and help improve freight transportation, increase freight rail capacity, and further intermodal connectivity between the markets we serve. It will enhance rail’s competitiveness with trucks, providing customers with a sustainable alternative,
and remove more traffic from the highways.”
CSX President and CEO Jim Foote
[22] The Port of Baltimore ■ December 2021