BALTIMORE — Monday marked the official start of double-stack rail service through the newly reconstructed Howard Street Tunnel, a project decades in the making that federal, state, and local leaders say is one of the most important infrastructure investments in Maryland's history.
More than $466 million was invested in the project's completion.
"Officially double stack is now here in the state of Maryland," Governor Wes Moore said.
Howard Street Tunnel opens for double-stacked rail service
For 50 years, the Howard Street Tunnel served as a bottleneck that prevented Baltimore from moving cargo through its port at the same rate as other states. Work to increase the height of the tunnel by lowering its floor began in 2022.
CSX CEO Steve Angel said the project unlocks critical connections across the region.
"Now with the Howard Street Tunnel and the final bridge work complete CSX has full double stacked clearance between the port of Baltimore, key midwestern markets and the broader east coast network," Angel said.
Moore said the project represents a shift away from years of stalled progress.
"For too long we saw how our state watched vital infrastructure projects get stalled by bureaucracy and bogged down by delays, for too long the way of doing business was to deliver a promise and wait to actually come up with delivery," Moore said.
An In Focus look at the Howard Street Tunnel's history
Officials say the investment extends beyond the tunnel and the port itself, with broader implications for Maryland's economic future.
U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks said the project carries significant economic promise.
"Not only does this project boost the ports competitiveness and expand its capacity but this project will also create thousands of jobs and generate as you have heard around a billion dollars in yearly economic benefits," Alsobrooks said.
International Longshoremen's Association Local 333 President Scott Cowan said that while the tunnel's completion is a milestone, more work remains.
"This is a big deal and it was the achilles heel for the port of Baltimore for years and now its fixed in order to make the most out of that we need to take care of our facilities, we need to take care of our infrastructure, we need to take care of our peers, we need to take care of our docs and everything that goes along with that," Cowan said.
Now that the Howard Street Tunnel is officially open, the Port of Baltimore is expected to add roughly 160,000 containers annually and support more than 13,000 direct and indirect jobs.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
