MTA to begin digging 2nd Ave. subway in East Harlem, 50 years after project halted – Gothamist

Key Takeaways:

• MTA will resume excavation of the Second Avenue Subway in East Harlem.
• The restart comes roughly 50 years after the project was halted.
• A $1.9 billion contract will fund new tunnels and stations.
• The work represents Phase 2 of the subway’s long-promised expansion.
• Multiple local outlets report that the MTA has inked a tunnel-boring deal.

A Half-Century Pause Ends
Construction crews walked away from East Harlem’s portion of the Second Avenue Subway in the 1970s. Now, “50 years after project halted,” the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the digging will finally resume.

The $1.9 Billion Commitment
According to several local reports, the MTA plans “to award $1.9B contract to build Second Avenue subway tunnels, stations.” The agreement covers the heavy excavation and concrete work required to push the line northward under East Harlem.

Phase 2 Takes Shape
News outlets describe the effort as “Phase 2 of Second Avenue expansion moving forward in Harlem.” The upcoming stage centers on boring fresh tunnels and laying the groundwork for new stations along the avenue—an essential link in the broader plan to extend service uptown.

Ink on the Tunnel-Boring Deal
Gothamist, CBS News, and others note that the agency is “moving forward … by inking tunnel boring deal.” That contractual step clears the way for giant machines to start chewing through Manhattan schist in the months ahead.

What It Means for Riders
For East Harlem residents—many of whom still rely on packed Lexington Avenue trains—the revival of the so-called phantom line signals relief long in the making. With the contract approved and machinery on order, the MTA’s promise to finish what it started half a century ago finally appears ready to leave the drawing board and descend into the bedrock.