The Howard Street Tunnel expansion project has officially broken ground, with help from Governor Larry Hogan, representatives from the Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland Port Administration, and more.

The highly-anticipated $466 million project will reconstruct the Baltimore City tunnel and provide 18 extra inches of clearance, allowing double-stacked container freight trains to travel to and from the Port of Baltimore with ease, while becoming the shortest double rail route to the Midwest. The expansion is expected to create more than 6,500 construction jobs  and an additional 7,300 new jobs from increased business at the Port.

This news comes at a time when all eyes are on the local port, which is taking on diverted ships and new customers  to help alleviate the strain on the supply chain. As one of Maryland’s top economic generators, the Port of Baltimore is also known as one of America’s most efficient and capable deepwater ports.

Currently, the majority of cargo handled at the Port of Baltimore is transported by truck because the Howard Street Tunnel is not configured to accommodate trains that are double-stacked  with containers. This investment will not only benefit Maryland’s transportation infrastructure , but also reduce the cost for moving container shipments throughout the state and reduce congestion surrounding the I-95 corridor.