Overview
- The Howard Street Tunnel enlargement was completed on Monday, June 22, 2026, and officials say the new clearances allow double‑stack container trains to pass through the tunnel.
- Partners funded the $466 million project through a federal‑state‑private package that officials describe as one of Maryland’s largest public‑private infrastructure investments.
- State and port officials project the upgrade could move about 160,000 additional containers a year, create more than 1,000 jobs, and generate roughly $1 billion in annual economic activity.
- Officials and union leaders say the change removes the final technical obstacle preventing CSX from running higher‑capacity double‑stack trains on the I‑95 corridor to Philadelphia, which should cut truck trips and lower emissions.
- The work fixes a height restriction that had limited the Port of Baltimore for more than 50 years and completes decades of planning and construction to expand the port’s rail capacity.