The MTA and elected officials held a groundbreaking in Harlem on June 8 to begin the major construction phase of the Second Avenue Subway extension. A tunnel-boring machine is set to launch next year to build tunnels between 120th St & Second Ave and 125th St & Malcolm X Blvd. Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $1.02 billion contract for cut-and-cover work and the future 106th Street station; TBM work is part of a $1.97 billion Phase 2 contract. The full extension is estimated at $7 billion and is targeted to open in 2032.
Groundbreaking Kicks Off Major Construction for Second Avenue Subway Extension in Harlem
Officials break ground to mark major construction of the extension of New York’s Second Avenue Subway. MTA/Marc A. Hermann
NEW YORK — Officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and elected leaders gathered on Monday, June 8, to mark the start of the major construction phase for the Second Avenue Subway extension in East Harlem.
The ceremony took place at the site where a tunnel-boring machine (TBM) is scheduled to be launched next year to excavate new tunnels between 120th Street & Second Avenue and 125th Street & Malcolm X Boulevard. The work is part of Phase 2 of the extension of the Q line.
Project Milestones and Contracts
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the MTA has awarded the next major contract for the project: a $1.02 billion joint-venture contract to Skanska, Traylor Bros., and Walsh Construction for cut-and-cover construction between 105th and 110th streets and for the future 106th Street station. The TBM-driven tunneling is covered under a separate $1.97 billion contract awarded last August for Phase 2 work.
“It was 80 years ago they started knocking down the Second Avenue El — an entire lifetime,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said in a press release. “Today’s groundbreaking is another major step toward transit justice for East Harlem, the city’s most transit-dependent community.”
“The last groundbreaking for a Second Avenue subway in East Harlem was 54 years ago, only for the project to be abandoned and this community left behind,” Governor Hochul said. “I promised I would be the leader to finally get this done, and by breaking ground on the major construction phase of this project, we are one giant step closer to realizing a dream nearly a century in the making.”
Scope, Cost and Timeline
The total estimated cost to extend the Q line through Phase 2 is approximately $7 billion. Officials are targeting an opening of the newly extended segment in 2032. The TBM will be deployed to bore the longer tunnel segments, while the awarded cut-and-cover contract will build the shorter covered tunnel sections and the 106th Street station.
Community Impact
Local leaders and MTA officials emphasized that the extension aims to improve transit access and equity in East Harlem, which has been described as one of New York City’s most transit-dependent neighborhoods.
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