The $6-billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore, the largest of 10 projects ranked on the inaugural ENR East region top starts list, accounts for more than half of the list’s combined $10.7 billion value. 

The two-mile, dual-tube rail tunnel that will replace the 1.4-mile Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel that causes bottlenecks south of Baltimore Penn Station is followed on the list by the $779-million I-95/Route 10, 15 Bridges project in Providence—the largest Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation job ever done by design-build. The $619-million Alle-Catt wind energy project in Freedom, N.Y., ranks third (see full list in related link above), while renovation of the Frederick E. Samuel Apartments, a $384-million project to modernize public housing in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood, rounds out the ranking.

Drawing from Dodge Data & Analytics as well as details provided by industry firms and other sources, the ranking draws from regional projects that started construction in 2024 in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Rounding out the ranking at No. 10 is the $384- million renovation of the Frederick E. Samuel Apartments in New York City.
Rendering courtesy NYC Housing Authority

Transformative Transportation

Despite uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration’s impact on federal government operation and funding flow, Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act spending continues to drive the region’s transportation market, “contributing to multiple transformative megaprojects,” says Rolando R. Amaya, senior vice president and MidAtlantic region executive at WSP, which is working on the Frederick Douglass Tunnel.

“Everyone has their eyes on Washington, D.C.,” Amaya notes. “The short-term uncertainty over the new administration’s goals may slow new project starts in the early part of the year, but it’s important to remember that today’s fundamental infrastructure challenges are no different than they were last year.”

WSP is also working on the No. 7-ranked Hudson Tunnel Project - Palisades Tunnel in North Bergen, N.J., a $466-million project that is part of the larger $16-billion Hudson Tunnel Project to replace the aging river rail crossing.

Amaya says increased infrastructure spending “allows ... owners to focus on asset renewal and climate resilience, particularly in coastal areas.”

AECOM is serving as delivery partner for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel and is also part of the joint venture designing the Hudson Tunnel. Sam Donelson, who is executive vice president and regional CEO for AECOM’s US East and Latin America region, says alternative delivery methods for public sector projects— “in conjunction with permitting reform”—accelerate projects and save resources.

“Owners of major rail systems along the Northeast Corridor are taking advantage of this shift by collaborating with delivery partners to develop innovative strategies for executing large capital programs as efficiently as possible,” he says. “This flexible approach allows projects to be delivered more quickly and efficiently, ultimately saving time and taxpayer dollars.”

At $6 billion, the Frederick Douglass Tunnel project in Baltimore is the largest project by dollar value on the ENR East Top Starts ranking.
Rendering courtesy of WSP

Renewable Energy

The renewable energy sector is well represented on ENR East’s Top Starts list, which includes two of New York’s largest clean energy projects.

Starting early construction in November on approximately 2,500 acres in Elba and Oakfield, N.Y., the Cider Solar Farm will be the largest solar installation of its kind in the state, according to its planners, after construction finishes in summer 2026. The $500-million, 500-MW project received approval from the New York Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Transmission last month as its owners—Hecate Energy and Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co.—secured $950 million in aggregate financing to support acquisitions, construction and operation.

But the Alle-Catt wind project, being developed by Chicago-based Invenergy and set to produce 340 MW of wind power when it finishes in July 2025, hit a setback last month when the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency board rescinded $51.7 million in tax breaks for the project. The project is set to include 38 wind turbines in Farmersville and Freedom, N.Y., and transmission infrastructure in Yorkshire, N.Y.

Both projects are part of a larger statewide initiative that includes several other large-scale renewable power projects announced by the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority as the state moves toward its commitment to reach 70% renewable energy generation by 2030.

“The renewable energy sector has been a significant driver of development across New York,” says Dan De Boer, head of infrastructure at Greenbacker Capital. “We anticipate laying up to 189 miles of cabling and as much as 31 million pounds of piles during the construction phase.”

New York City is investing in structural upgrades with the $410-million Wind Retrofit and Structural Rehabilitation project aimed at fortifying buildings against extreme weather. The federal sector is represented by a $450-million submarine logistics support project in Norfolk, Va. That project, which is being built by Saw Contracting Inc., ranks eighth on the list.

Strong Pipeline

While transportation and energy work remain steady, some sectors are slowing. “With such economic strength in this region, every sector presents an opportunity,” WSP’s Amaya says. “However, we are seeing some slowing in commercial, office and multifamily residential sectors, and some transit providers are facing funding challenges.”

Despite these challenges, Amaya sees continued growth in transportation, power and digital infrastructure. “Demand for all things digital is leading to continued investment in data centers and advanced manufacturing,” he says. “The ongoing energy transition is creating unprecedented power demand, generating new opportunities in the power market.”