Details of the Havre de Grace Amtrak land deal are still unclear

Havre de Grace residents are waiting to learn which city properties Amtrak wants for the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge project and how much it will pay. The city discussed changes to an earlier land agreement Monday but made no decision.

The land deal: Amtrak would buy some city land. It would also gain the right to use other city property either permanently or during construction.

What remains unknown: The city has not released the locations or sizes of the properties. It also has not said how much Amtrak would pay or which land would no longer belong to the city.

Resident questions: Chip Place of Cigar Loop asked the city to provide maps or land surveys. He also asked about the price and whether the Lewis Lane Bridge will need to be rebuilt.

About the bridge project: Amtrak plans to replace the two-track bridge between Havre de Grace and Perryville with two bridges carrying four tracks. The current bridge was built in 1906 and carries about 110 Amtrak, MARC and freight trains each day.

The project is expected to cost $2.7 billion and be finished in 2036. A federal and state grant will cover $2.08 billion. Amtrak and Maryland will pay the rest.

Current work: Crews are surveying land, studying effects on the environment, searching for historic objects, protecting wildlife and checking utility lines. Amtrak is also inspecting and maintaining the current bridge.

More than 15,000 historic objects have been found in Havre de Grace. The discoveries include signs of an 1850s building that housed Black railroad workers, late-1800s homes, a saloon and a bakery.

What comes next: The city has not said when it will decide on the land deal. The next council meeting is Sept. 8.

Amtrak officials have said they also plan to give Havre de Grace and Perryville residents an update on the bridge project, but no date has been announced.