A ceremony was held Monday to mark the completion of the Claymont Transportation Center. Government officials joined lead contractor Wagman at the event. Attendees included state and local officials and the state’s Congressional Delegation.
SEPTA train service will begin on Dec. 4.
The project is the cornerstone of the revitalization of Claymont, a former steel mill town off interstates 495 and 95. The mill site and a one-time Tri-State Mall are being redeveloped as mixed-use and warehouse projects, respectively. A newer area near the current train station is a residential development with some retail-service businesses.
The $70 million design-build project for the Delawre Department of Transportation replaces an aging train station structure for the first SEPTA stop in Delaware. SEPTA, thanks to subsidies from the State of Delaware, also has stops in Wilmington, Stanton-Christiana, and Newark on the Philadelphia route. Newark also has a new SEPTA-Amtrak station at the University of Delaware STAR Campus.
Recently, Maryland officials have renewed efforts to bring MARC commuter train service to the Baltimore-DC area to Elkton, MD, with Newark as a possible final stop. All transit systems are battling a slow recovery from the Covid-19 virus, which led to more people working remotely. That is contributing to a potential funding crisis for older systems like SEPTA.
The Claymont transportation center features two passenger platforms with canopies, a plaza with ticketing and waiting areas, restrooms, at-grade parking, electronic vehicle charging stations, a three-tiered parking garage, and an enclosed pedestrian. Access improvements include new auxiliary lanes, traffic signals, a roundabout, sidewalks, and a path that enhances safety and minimizes congestion for transit buses, motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
“Through partnership and coordination with DelDOT, Amtrak, and our Wagman-JMT design-build team, we are proud to collectively deliver this significant multi-modal project to the community,” stated Greg Andricos, Wagman Heavy Civil President and COO. “Furthermore, through ongoing good faith efforts, we maximized the participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) on this project, exceeding the contract DBE goals by over $1.7 million.”
The project was a collaboration from Wagman, using Wagman Heavy Civil’s transportation resources, Wagman’s Geotechnical Construction services to provide platform, pile, and foundation work, and Wagman Construction’s building expertise. The site presented engineering challenges, due to old infrastructure at the former train station.
Founded in 1902, Wagman is a fourth-generation, family-owned company with offices in Pennsylvania and Virginia It is headquartered in York, PA. As a heavy civil contractor. It is currently lead contractor for a two-year overhaul of the Interstate 95-Route 896 interchange in Newark.
