The Virginia Avenue Tunnel Reconstruction (VAT) project is the last of 61 projects in CSX Transportation’s National Gateway Initiative, an infrastructure improvement plan designed to improve rail connections by upgrading bridges and tunnels to allow passage of double- stacked intermodal freight trains. The VAT is the culmination of an ambitious 10-year initiative, but it is also an incredibly complex project in its own right – a progressive-design- build project that spanned 10 city blocks in the heart of the nation’s capital. Spanning Virginia
Avenue SE from 2nd to 11th Streets, the project was one of the most critical, and sensitive, civil infrastructure improvement projects in the country.

Using Progressive Design-Build to Maximize Collaboration

Progressive Design-Build was essential to the project’s myriad challenges, especially the project analysis and approval mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for work on this century-old tunnel. Early contractor involvement allowed the design-builder’s senior leadership to be involved in the early stages of project planning and enabled the client to build a team based on qualifications and experience; both factors are essential design-build procurement best practices that led to project success. Following more than three years of support services during NEPA environmental impact studies, Clark/Parsons completed the project in two phases with no interruption to train operations (a critical priority) successfully completing the project on-schedule and under budget. The team’s alignment also proved essential to obtaining community buy-in on the project, another significant challenge, throughout construction.

Design-Build Team

Client/Owner:	CSX Transportation
Design-Build Firm:	Clark/Parsons, A Joint Venture
General Contractor:	Clark Construction Group, LLC
Architect:	Parsons
Engineer:	Parsons
Project Manager:	Clark/Parsons, A Joint Venture
Construction Duration:	44 Months

Photo Credit: Dominique Munoz