JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX today announced the re-opening of the expanded Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore following a double-stack clearance project that began on Feb. 1.
“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,” CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a statement. “This project reinforces CSX’s position as a high-performing, customer-focused railroad investing for profitable growth.”
With the tunnel project completed, and once additional bridge 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.
CSX said it would then have the fastest and most efficient intermodal route on the Interstate 95 corridor linking Florida with the Northeast. It also opens up a more direct route for intermodal traffic moving between Baltimore and the Midwest via the former Baltimore & Ohio main line, rather than the current roundabout route via Philadelphia, Selkirk, N.Y., and Buffalo, N.Y.
The railroad has projected that the project could generate up to 125,000 new intermodal loads annually. The Port of Baltimore expects the project to lead to 160,000 containers moving through the port.
“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,” Chief Operating Officer Mike Cory said in a statement. “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 $450 million project was delivered through a partnership between CSX, the State of Maryland, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“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.”
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 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
Completing the Howard Street tunnel and the Nolichuky Gorge projects represents a very impressive achievement in my eyes, anyway.