MTA Breaks Ground on $7.7 Billion Second Avenue Extension, Adding 3 East Harlem Stations by 2032
Updated
Updated · Gothamist · Jun 8
MTA Breaks Ground on $7.7 Billion Second Avenue Extension, Adding 3 East Harlem Stations by 2032
3 articles · Updated · Gothamist · Jun 8
Summary
Crews on Monday began excavating at East 119th Street and Second Avenue for a launch site that will lower one of two tunnel-boring machines into the Second Avenue subway extension.
The $7.7 billion project will add three East Harlem stations and link the Q line at 125th Street to Metro-North and the Lexington Avenue subway lines, with completion targeted for 2032.
Federal backing proved decisive after the MTA won a lawsuit that released funding the Trump administration had tried to withhold; officials said $3.4 billion was secured for the work.
Gov. Kathy Hochul also pledged $25 million to study pushing the tunnel west across 125th Street to Broadway, while the MTA has deprioritized an earlier plan to extend south into lower Manhattan.
The groundbreaking revives an effort that failed in the 1970s after the city's fiscal crisis, though some nearby residents say years of scaffolding, vibration and fears about building damage are already taking a toll.
Promised for a century, what makes this attempt to build the Second Avenue subway different from past failures?
Will the new $7.7B subway uplift East Harlem, or will it ultimately displace its long-time residents?
Breaking Ground in 2026: How the $7.7 Billion Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Will Reshape Transit and Equity in East Harlem
Overview
In June 2026, the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project will officially begin heavy civil construction, marking a major step forward for New York City's transit system. Building on the success of Phase I, which brought service to 96th Street, this new phase aims to transform mobility for Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. While tunneling is set to start in 2027, important preparatory work like utility relocation is already underway, and the main tunneling contract has been awarded. This progress sets the stage for significant improvements in transit access and community connectivity in the coming years.