EAST HARLEM, NY — State officials on Monday marked the start of major construction on Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, a long-awaited expansion that will bring new subway service to East Harlem and connect the neighborhood to the rest of Manhattan.
Gov. Kathy Hochul joined Metropolitan Transportation Authority leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony at East 120th Street and Second Avenue, where a tunnel boring machine is expected to begin excavation work in early 2027.
The project will extend Q train service north from 96th Street to 125th Street and add new stations at 106th Street, 116th Street and 125th Street.
Officials said the expansion is expected to serve more than 100,000 daily riders in East Harlem and reduce some commutes by up to 20 minutes.
“The Second Avenue Subway will change everything for East Harlem, saving people precious time and making possible opportunities that have for too long been out of reach for too many,” Hochul said.
The governor noted the area's long history of waiting for the project to become a reality.
"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," Hochul said. "When I became Governor, I promised that 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."
The MTA also announced the award of a major construction contract for the future 106th Street station and connecting tunnel work.
Officials said lessons learned during Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway have helped generate more than $1 billion in savings and put portions of the project ahead of schedule.
The full Phase 2 project carries a budget of nearly $7 billion and is expected to begin passenger service in 2032. Funding includes revenue generated through New York City's congestion pricing program.
East Harlem residents have been promised a Second Avenue subway line for generations. Plans for the route date back to the 1920s, while construction efforts launched in the 1970s were abandoned during New York City's fiscal crisis.
Assemblymember Edward Gibbs called Monday's groundbreaking a significant milestone for the neighborhood.
"East Harlem has waited more than a century for the Second Avenue Subway," Gibbs said. "We have watched plans come and go, promises made and broken, and opportunities pass our community by. Today’s groundbreaking is proof that this time is different."
For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.
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