The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has approved a nearly $2 billion contract to begin major construction on the Second Avenue Subway extension into East Harlem. The deal, awarded to Connect Plus Partners, includes work to bore a new tunnel between 120th and 125th streets, rehabilitate an abandoned tunnel, and build three new stations.
The project aims to add 110,000 daily riders and will create jobs for local residents, with a goal of utilizing 20% of the workforce from East Harlem. The MTA expects major changes to the neighborhood, but officials assure that efforts will be made to benefit the community.
Early construction work is set to begin in September, while heavy civil work will start in January. A state-of-the-art tunnel boring machine is expected to be installed in 2027. The project’s total cost is estimated at $7.7 billion, making it one of the most expensive subway projects globally.
The contract approval marks a significant step forward for the project, which was first conceived over a century ago but was halted in 1975 due to financial crisis. MTA Chair Janno Lieber said that the people of East Harlem have waited long enough for this development, and Governor Kathy Hochul praised the move as “long overdue.”
Source: https://gothamist.com/news/mta-to-begin-digging-2nd-ave-subway-in-east-harlem-50-years-after-project-halted