Long Bridge Act of 2020
Floor Speech
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Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Today I rise in support of the Long Bridge Act of 2020, which I proudly colead with my colleague from Virginia, Congressman Rob Wittman.
The existing Long Bridge is the only rail bridge connecting Virginia to Washington, D.C., and it is the main rail connection between the southeast and northeast for both passenger and freight rail.
The Long Bridge is old and rusty and ugly and a treasured part of our landscape. It was authorized by Congress in 1808 and signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson. It cost $200,000 to build initially.
Now, during peak hours, the two-track bridge is at almost 98 percent capacity, which makes it a significant chokepoint along the East Coast from Washington, D.C., all the way to Florida.
That is why the Long Bridge Project is so crucial. It would double the capacity of the Potomac River rail crossing by adding a second two- track bridge adjacent to the existing bridge.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress how impactful the new Long Bridge Project will be, projecting an annual $6 billion in benefits to the region by 2040.
However, the land where construction will take place on both sides of the Potomac River is controlled by the National Park Service, and it is currently prohibited by law to transfer land to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia for the purposes of railroad construction.
That is where our bill comes in.
The Long Bridge Act of 2020 is a simple fix to allow the National Park Service to transfer control of this land for the purpose of the Long Bridge rail project.
So I wholeheartedly support this bill. This will enable the Commonwealth of Virginia to move forward with this vital construction.
I thank my colleagues from Virginia, D.C., and Maryland on both sides of the aisle for supporting this bill. And I thank, again, my colleague, Rob Wittman, for his efforts on behalf of the Long Bridge Act of 2020.
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