Next Phase of the Project Will Extend Existing Tunnel to 125 St
New Approach to Phase 2 Yields $1.3 Billion in Savings; On Track ToBe 10 Percent Cheaper Than Phase 1
Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Project Will Bring Transit Equity to East Harlem
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board has approved the tunnel-boring contract for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, the project extending the Q train from 96 Street to 125 Street that will deliver new transit access to East Harlem residents. This new tunnel will extend from 116 Street to 125 Street. Crews under this contract will also excavate space for the future 125 Street Station, and in a cost-containment measure that saves the MTA $500 million, will outfit the tunnel along the route that was built in the 1970s to accommodate the future 116 Street Station.
The work to bore the new tunnel, between 35 and 120 feet below Second Avenue, is expected to take place using 750-ton machines equipped with 22-foot diamond-studded drill heads. Early work will commence later this year, with heavy civil construction starting in early 2026 and the tunnel boring itself expected to begin in 2027.
“It's been a century since the people of East Harlem were promised the new subway they deserve — and we are finally getting it done,” Governor Hochul said. “East Harlem is one of the most transit-reliant neighborhoods in New York, but every day, tens of thousands of commuters lack subway access. The Second Avenue Subway will change everything; it will shorten commutes for over 100,000 daily riders and make East Harlem more vibrant than ever. Awarding this contract means that the time for promises to this community is over and the time for building is here — next stop 125 Street!”
The contract, valued at $1.972 billion, is being awarded to Connect Plus Partners, a joint venture between Halmar International and FCC Construction. It is the second of four construction contracts for the Q train extension. Despite New York City’s high construction costs, the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2’s cost-benefit is significant and is projected to have the lowest cost per rider of any active heavy rail project in the country.
Improved Practices and More Than $1 Billion in Savings
As part of the MTA's commitment to delivering key infrastructure projects better, faster and cheaper, the contracts for Phase 2 incorporate lessons learned from Second Avenue Subway Phase 1.
Addressing utility relocation requirements upfront reduces the risk of unexpected costs or delays later as construction progresses — especially in New York City which has one of the most complex underground utilities networks in the world, most of which is unmapped.
Additional cost containment initiatives in Phase 2 include reuse of a tunnel segment that was built in the 1970s from 110 Street to 120 Street along Second Avenue, early real estate acquisition, adoption of best value contract structures such as A+B contracts (design-build), close coordination of contracts and reduction in back-of-house, ancillary space and station size.
All told, these initiatives have saved more than $1.3 billion.
Transit Equity for East Harlem
East Harlem is a historically underserved neighborhood which has one of the largest concentrations of affordable housing in the United States and where 70 percent of residents rely on transit. Phase 2 will create three new accessible stations right in the heart of the community at 106 Street, 116 Street, and 125 Street, and offer one-seat rides from East Harlem to the Upper East Side, West Midtown and Coney Island, shortening travel times by up to 20 minutes.
More than 70,000 jobs, including union-wage construction jobs, will result from the Second Ave Subway Phase 2 project. A 20 percent local hiring goal for the project will generate good-paying job opportunities for hundreds of East Harlem residents.
East Harlem has long been promised a new subway connection on Second Avenue. In the 1920s, the Second System proposal, which ultimately became the IND subway system, included service on Second Avenue. In 1948, New York City voters approved bonding intended to build the second avenue subway, which was ultimately left unbuilt after the start of the Korean War. In 1927, construction on the line finally commenced in East Harlem, but was later abandoned in 1975 during the city’s fiscal crisis. Sections of the tunneling constructed in the 1970s will be utilized in Phase 2.
About Phase 2
The second phase of the project will extend Q train service from 96 Street north to 125 Street and then west on 125 Street to Park Avenue, approximately 1.5 miles in total. There will be a direct passenger connection with the existing 125 St subway station on the Lexington Avenue subway line. Phase 2 will also feature an entrance at Park Avenue to allow convenient transfers to the Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem-125 Street Station.
Each station will have above-ground ancillary buildings that house ventilation, mechanical, and electrical equipment, as well as space for possible ground-floor retail and community uses. The expansion will serve an additional 110,000 daily riders and provide three new ADA accessible stations — raising the bar for customer comfort and convenience. Increased multimodal transit connectivity at the 125 Street station at Park Avenue with connections to the 4 5 6 lines, Metro-North and the M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport will allow for convenient transfers to other subway and commuter rail lines, facilitating smoother, faster transportation across the city and metropolitan region.
About Phase 1
Phase 1 of the project extended the line from 63 Street to 96 Street and was New York City's largest expansion of the subway system in 50 years. Service opened on January 1, 2017, with additional stations at 72 Street and 86 Street. Since its completion, the Second Avenue Subway has carried more than 130 million passengers in total, including more than 200,000 passengers on a typical pre-pandemic day.
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