Governor Hochul Celebrates Groundbreaking for Major Construction Stage of Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Project

Governor Kathy Hochul today joined leadership from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), elected officials and Harlem community leaders to break ground on the major construction stage of the transformative Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project. The groundbreaking occurred at the location where, in early 2027, the state-of-the-art tunnel-boring machine (TBM) will be lowered into the ground and begin mining the new subway tunnels from 120 Street and 2nd Avenue to 125 Street and Malcolm X Boulevard.

The governor also announced that, following the resumption of federal funding to the project in April, the MTA has awarded the next major contract to construct the final tunnel section of this phase from 105 Street to 110 Street, including the future 106 St Station, using a "cut and cover" approach. The MTA is applying lessons from Phase 1 of the project to deliver more than $1 billion in savings and is on track to complete advanced utility relocations early, allowing pending work on this project to start six months faster than originally scheduled.

"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," Governor Hochul said. "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. 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 state-of-the-art variable-density Tunnel Boring Machines will be delivered early next year. Weighing more than one million and a half pounds, the machines are equipped with 23-foot, tungsten carbide cutter heads. The TBM can adjust its methods depending on what kind of material it encounters, toggling between one kind of drill for hard rock and another for soft soil or sand. The TBM also reinforces the tunnel lining it leaves behind as it travels beneath Harlem. The TBM will launch from the 120 Street site and travel to 125 Street and Malcolm X Boulevard.

Concurrent to today's milestone on the Phase 2 project, Governor Hochul and the MTA are already scoping and designing a potential next phase of the Q train westward across 125th St to Broadway with three new stations and more than 160,000 daily riders. Following the completion of an MTA feasibility study announced by the governor in 2024, this year's FY27 enacted state budget secured $25 million to conduct preliminary engineering and design of a tunnel extension and approval of an efficient environmental review process. If the project is advanced, work on the tunnel could continue seamlessly using much of the same equipment from phase 2, saving time and money.

Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 is divided into four contracts - compared to 10 in Phase 1 - to increase project efficiency and minimize complicated contractor coordination. The tunnel boring is part of Contract 2, valued at $1.97 billion, including shaft excavation for the TBM, controlled blasting for future stations and asbestos and lead abatement in the existing 1970s tunnels. At today's groundbreaking, the MTA and Governor Hochul announced progress on another major component of Phase 2: the award of Contract 3. Contract 3 will construct the structural shells of the new 106 St Station and associated tunneling, connecting the existing tunnels north and south of the station, which the contractor is expected to begin work in the coming months. The entire Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project is budgeted at $6.968 billion and is on track for revenue service in 2032.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "It was 80 years ago they started knocking down the Second Avenue El -- an entire lifetime. Today's groundbreaking is another major step toward transit justice for East Harlem, the City's most transit-dependent community."

President of MTA Construction & Development Jamie Torres-Springer said, "The new MTA is delivering on the longstanding promise to bring subway service to the East Harlem community. By applying lessons learned from Phase 1, we're delivering this project better, faster, and cheaper-with more than $1 billion in savings to date."

Using Cost Containment Strategies Learned During Phase 1

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 innovative contract structures such as best-value, performance based contracts, design-build, close coordination of contracts, and the reduction in back-of-house, ancillary spaces, and station sizes.

All told, these initiatives have saved more than $1 billion.

Delivering Better Transit 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.

The Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project will create thousands of jobs, including union-wage construction jobs. 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 1972, 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 adapted and utilized in Phase 2, including for the 116 St station.

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 300,000 daily riders when combined with Phase 1 - 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.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said, "Today's groundbreaking, along with the award of another construction contract for Phase Two of the Second Avenue Subway, brings us even closer to achieving transportation equity and excellence in New York. This project will ensure that East Harlem has greater access to jobs, health care, family, and other essential services while reducing congestion and subway crowding, and improving air quality. Working side-by-side with Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Governor Kathy Hochul, I secured $3.4 billion in federal funding-the largest Capital Investment Grant in history at the time-to advance this transformative project. When construction is complete, more than 300,000 New Yorkers will benefit from almost two miles of new track, six new stations, and one fully refurbished station."

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, "New Yorkers have waited long enough for the Second Avenue Subway extension, which will cut travel times, create new job opportunities, and provide essential transit connections in East Harlem. I am proud that MTA is delivering more than $1 billion in savings and that portions of the project are ahead of schedule. These critical infrastructure projects are the lifeblood of our economy and will provide the safe, reliable, and accessible public transportation system that our commuters and families deserve."

U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat said, "East Harlem has long been a transportation desert, leaving more than 100,000 New Yorkers living there with no subway access in the city with our nation's crown mass transit system. When I came to Congress, I prioritized the construction of the Second Avenue Subway stops at 106th and 116th street, and connection to 125th street. After years of leg work in the community and Congress, today serves as yet another mile marker in our successful effort to deliver this new subway, which realizes the concept that had been stalled for decades. I am grateful for the shared commitment and efforts by Governor Hochul, Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, Janno Lieber, our colleagues in local offices, and countless others. Looking forward, I will continue to work with this coalition of leaders to expand our existing efforts to ensure this historic project translates to high-paying, skilled jobs for our neighbors in El Barrio - and to implement proper protections so they are comfortable through future construction work and able to stay and grow in the neighborhood they know, love, and embody."

State Senator José M. Serrano said, "I am thrilled for the groundbreaking of the long-awaited next phase of the Second Ave Subway Project. As Senator for the 29th Senate District, representing communities in the South Bronx and East Harlem, I have been a long-time supporter of this critical investment that is vital for residents and commuters throughout New York City. Many thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul, members of congress, and our federal partners along with the Department of Transportation for working to ensure the necessary transition into Phase 2 of this project."

State Senator Cordell Cleare said, "On behalf of my constituents, I am heartened to learn that Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway remains on track to finally deliver the transit equity and modern upgrades that our longstanding residents so richly deserve. Thank you to Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to this project and I urge everyone to redouble our collective efforts to not only create tunnels but also pathways to community prosperity and quality of life."

Assemblymember Edward Gibbs said, "East Harlem has waited more than a century for the Second Avenue Subway. 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 the first time in generations, residents can see this project taking shape before their eyes and know that the promise of transit equity is finally becoming a reality. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to seeing this project through."

Assemblymember Jordan J.G. Wright said, "Today's groundbreaking for the Second Avenue Subway in Harlem is more than a construction milestone; it is a long overdue investment in the dignity, mobility, and economic future of our community. For too long, Harlem residents have borne the burdens of limited transit access while contributing so much to the lifeblood of this city. I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul, our partners in the State Legislature, our City officials, our federal delegation, community boards, labor unions, advocates, and every stakeholder who fought to make this day possible. Together, we are delivering the modern, reliable transportation Harlem deserves."

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, "Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway is a generational investment in the future of Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights, and all of Upper Manhattan. For far too long, too many Manhattanites have lacked fast, reliable transit options. This expansion will provide one-seat rides into the heart of Midtown and Lower Manhattan, cutting travel times by up to 20 minutes each way. I'm deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber for championing and investing in this project, and to Congressmember Adriano Espaillat for his years of advocacy to secure the federal funding needed to make it a reality. This is exactly the kind of investment in transit, affordability, and opportunity that New Yorkers deserve."

City Comptroller Mark Levine said, "The next phase of the Second Avenue Subway reflects a multi-faceted approach to reinforcing the East Harlem and uptown Manhattan economies, not only in what the project aims to generate upon completion but in the construction itself. A new, accessible transit line, 70,000 union jobs, and over $1 billion in savings is what adaptability and efficiency in government can look like. I look forward to Phase 2 beginning shortly, and learning even more valuable lessons from its undertaking."

Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu said, "For a century, Upper Manhattan has waited for a much-needed Second Ave connection, and now, Governor Hochul is delivering it. Bringing a new line will create game-changing access for hundreds of thousands of daily riders. We look forward to construction of phase 2 getting underway and are thrilled by the Governor's grand vision for a connected Harlem, including east to west!"

Council Member Yusef Salaam said, "Today marks another major milestone in our commitment to building a stronger, more connected New York. The Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project will bring long-overdue transit access to East Harlem, connect thousands of New Yorkers to jobs and opportunities, and deliver on a promise that has been generations in the making. By applying lessons learned from Phase 1, we are moving this project forward more efficiently, saving taxpayers over $1 billion while creating good-paying union jobs and expanding equitable access to reliable public transportation. This is how we build the future-better, faster, and for all New Yorkers."

New York Building Congress President & CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq. said, "For nearly a century, residents of East Harlem have been promised that their community would reap the benefits of connectivity to our mass transit system. Today, alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Adriano Espaillat and the MTA, Building Congress members look forward to putting shovels, and, in this day and age, tunnel boring machines, in the ground to bring this promise to life."

Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York President Gary LaBarbera said, "The groundbreaking of Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 marks a major step forward in delivering the modern transit infrastructure New Yorkers deserve while creating thousands of family-sustaining, middle class careers in the process. This project will connect East Harlem residents to jobs, education, healthcare, and opportunity throughout the city, while putting skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen to work building critical infrastructure that will serve generations to come. We applaud Governor Hochul, the MTA, and all of our partners for advancing this transformative investment and the economic growth that it will bring to our city and state."