Rail

MTA releases solicitation for Phase 2 of Second Avenue Subway project

July 6, 2023

The solicitation is the first contract for the second phase of the project and will include utility relocation and building remediation.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

A rendering of the 125 Street Station as part of Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway project.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) issued a solicitation for the first contract associated with the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project . The scope of the solicitation includes utility relocation and building remediation along Second Avenue between 104th and 112th streets and cross streets to prepare for the construction of future stations.

The contract will be solicited as a Design-Bid-Build A+B contract, which MTA says incentivizes proposers to compete on both cost and time needed to complete the work. MTA Construction and Development reportedly saved more than $100 million on A+B contract awards compared to estimates in 2022.

"This first contract of Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 exemplifies the MTA's ability to adapt lessons learned from past projects and replicate cost containment measures for better, faster and cheaper project delivery. We are excited to advance procurement for this transformative project, which will create a more connected and integrated MTA system in East Harlem than ever before,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer.

MTA Construction and development will conduct an industry outreach event on July 11 to provide a project overview of Phase 2. MTA says a contract is expected to be awarded this fall, with work to begin by the end of the year.

The Second Avenue Subway opened in January 2017. It was the first major expansion of the New York City Transit subway system in 50 years and extended the Q Line from 63rd Street to 96th Street with new stations at 72 Street and 86 Street. It was the first of four planned phases that will eventually connect down to Lower Manhattan and up to Harlem.

Phase 2 extends the work accomplished in Phase 1 to bring the Q Line north to Harlem with two new stations at 106 Street and 116 Street, as well as a direct passenger connection with the existing Lexington Avenue subway line station at 125th Street.

"Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway is an investment in transit equity and a truly life changing project. The East Harlem community has waited decades for it, and this expansion will serve over 100,000 riders daily, connecting Harlemites to jobs, education and opportunity throughout the region,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.