The Virginia Avenue Tunnel in southeast Washington, D.C. was constructed in 1872 and extended in 1904. By 2010, the tunnel needed to be replaced to meet growing demands of increased freight traffic. Two tunnels were proposed of sufficient clearance to allow for passage of double-stack freight containers, which carry twice as much freight as single-stack trains.
Beginning in May of 2015, CSX started construction to replace the old tunnel with the two new tunnels, whose alignment was closer to residences and businesses than the original alignment. The C100 had filed a lawsuit to stop the expansion but the lawsuit was not successful. Construction was completed in 2018. Once completed, and freight trains began operations at 40 mph, many residents reported significant vibrations when the trains passed. The CSX lowered the train speed on the Virginia Avenue section to 25 mph to reduce the vibrations.