ICYMI: Spanberger, Buttigieg, Warner, Kaine, Connolly Break Ground on Long Bridge Project to Increase Passenger Rail Capacity in Virginia

A $729 Million Federal Investment to Construct a New Long Bridge to Connect D.C. & Virginia Was Made Possible by the Congresswoman’s Vote in Support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger yesterday joined U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, local officials, and Virginia workers to break ground on the new Long Bridge in Arlington, Virginia.

As part of the Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) Phase 2 projects — which received $729,000,000 in federal funding made possible by the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Long Bridge Project will construct a new two-track bridge between Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C. that will run adjacent to the existing bridge. The existing Long Bridge is a two-track rail bridge primarily used by freight trains, Amtrak passenger trains, and Virginia Railway Express commuter services. Once completed, the four-track corridor will allow for the separation of passenger and freight rail — allowing the current bridge to be dedicated primarily to freight, while the new bridge provides passenger services. According to DOT, the Transforming Rail in Virginia program is expected to create more than 36,000 jobs.

“‘Infrastructure Week’ used to be a running joke on Capitol Hill,” said Spanberger. “When we finally passed historic bipartisan legislation to make smart investments in our physical infrastructure, we knew it would have a real impact on Virginians — like those I represent up and down the I-95 corridor who take Amtrak and VRE to get where they’re going. This groundbreaking is yet another example of the real ways in which the bipartisan infrastructure law continues to deliver for Virginians and make good on the promise of investing in our communities. This new bridge will make sure that the millions of Virginians who travel across the Long Bridge can rely on rail.”

BACKGROUND

In December 2023, Spanberger, Warner, Kaine, Connolly, and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08) and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) held an event along with local officials and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to announce $729,000,000 in federal funding Spanberger helped secure for the Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) Phase 2 projects. This investment — made possible through the bipartisan infrastructure law, which Spanberger helped negotiate and voted to pass — will support the completion of a new Long Bridge across the Potomac River to connect Washington, D.C. and Virginia, make improvements to L’Enfant Station, and lay a third track along key sections of the corridor in Prince William, Stafford, and Spotsylvania Counties.

These improvements will help alleviate current bottlenecks, expand capacity, and improve reliability for Virginia commuters, travelers, and freight. The TRV projects will help expand Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) rail services between D.C. and Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition to additional service to current destinations, these projects are also a necessary intermediate step for future passenger rail service for the New River Valley and Bristol. The funding was awarded through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program made possible by the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Spanberger — alongside her colleagues — has been a vocal advocate for the completion of the TRV Phase 2 project. Last year, she helped lead a letter in support of the project to Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

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