The Maryland Ports Administration needs to close a $263 million funding gap to in order to begin reconstruction of the Howard Street Tunnel, according to a new report obtained by the Business Journal.
There are no viable alternatives to reconstruction of the Howard Street Tunnel, the Ports Administration said in its report to two General Assembly budget committees. Reconstruction of the 122-year-old tunnel is needed to allow transportation of double-stacked container rail cars to and from the Port of Baltimore. The report — requested for by the General Assembly in February — provides the latest details about the ongoing negotiations between the state and CSX Corp., the Jacksonville, Florida-based railroad company that owns the tunnel.
The Maryland Department of Transportation had originally proposed a public-private partnership to complete the proposed $445 million project to heighten the tunnel. The state and CSX would have each provided $145 million under the original proposal, with the federal government providing the final $155 million. CSX pulled out of the arrangement last year in what was described as a “business decision.”
Lawmakers in Maryland’s Congressional Delegation have been pushing CSX to get back involved and provide a more detailed explanation about its decision. State transportation officials say having access to double stacking is the only missing component from allowing the Port of Baltimore to reach its full potential.