Full Breakdown
Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Breaks Ground, Extending the Q Line to East Harlem
6/9/2026, 10:53:31 PM
Groundbreaking Launches Phase 2 Extension
On June 8-9 2026 Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, Rep. Adriano Espaillat and MTA Chair Janno Lieber led a groundbreaking at 120th Street, starting shaft excavation for tunnel-boring machines that will dig an 8,400-foot tunnel to 125th Street.
A Century of Delays
The Q-line extension was first proposed in the 1920s, but the Great Depression and the 1970s fiscal crisis halted work; Phase 1 opened three stations in 2017, leaving East Harlem unserved.
Principal Leaders and Contractors
Key participants include Governor Hochul, MTA Chair Lieber, Senator Schumer, Rep. Espaillat, MTA Construction head Jamie Torres-Springer, and the Skanska-Walsh-Traylor joint venture awarded the tunnel contract.
Key Milestones
1929: Great Depression cancels plan. 1970s: work stops at 105th Street. 2017: Phase 1 stations open. April 2024: $58 M released. June 2026: groundbreaking. 2027: TBMs arrive. 2032: service expected.
Project Scale and Funding
The project’s cost ranges from $6.9 billion to $7.7 billion. Federal funding totals $3.4 billion, with a $58 million tranche released in 2024. Contract 2 for TBM work is $1.97 billion. The tunnel is 8,400 feet long; TBMs weigh 1.5 million pounds and use 23-foot cutter heads. Three new stations will serve about 100,000 daily riders and connect to the 4, 5, 6 lines and Metro-North.
Transit Equity and Connectivity
The extension links the Q line to the 4, 5, 6 subway lines and Metro-North at 125th Street, cutting commutes up to 20 minutes and delivering transit equity to East Harlem.
Government and Agency Remarks
Hochul called the project a “tangible change in people’s lives” and credited court victories for securing federal money. Lieber highlighted Phase 1 lessons, early utility relocation, and performance-based contracts to stay on budget. Schumer framed funding as a defeat for the Trump administration.
Community Skepticism
East Harlem riders expressed doubt, noting past delays: “Sometimes the government says they’ll do it, but they take so long, it doesn’t really happen.” Some question westward TBM extension feasibility.
Construction Site Activities
Workers excavated a shallow shaft at 120th Street, clearing two abandoned buildings and installing heavy-duty drilling equipment ahead of TBM launch.
Discrepancies in Cost and Funding
Cost estimates vary between $6.9 billion and $7.7 billion. Federal funding is described as both a $3.4 billion grant and a $58 million release, indicating separate disbursements. Westward ridership forecasts lack budgeting.
Direct Voices
- “We’re not going to let the president, or his administration, stand in our way.” — Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
- “This is something that is more than symbolic, it's a tangible change in people's lives.” — Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
- “We knew that Trump would try to take this away. … Trump. You lost. We won.” — Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senate Majority Leader
- “What we’re gonna do here is building a shaft where we can lower these two million-and-a-half pound beasts.” — Janno Lieber, MTA Chair & CEO
Future Steps
TBMs are scheduled for delivery in Q1 2027, with tunnel excavation through 2029. FY 2027 funds will support engineering for a possible westward extension.
