By Philip Newman
Two enormous boring machines have finished the first phase of the No. 7 subway extension to Manhattan’s far west side in what Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the end of a half century of drought in New York City subway expansion.
Bloomberg, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Jay Walder and Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber announced the completion of the first phase of the line Monday.
“It’s been a half century since city government expanded its subway system, but that drought will soon be at an end,” Bloomberg said. “Too often government falls victim to the temptation to abandon long-term infrastructure projects amid short-term downtowns and that’s why big things never get done.”
“The development of the Hudson Yards has been talked about for decades, but with the expansion of the No. 7 line its potential will finally be realized,” he said.
The $2.1 billion project, financed by the city, is intended to help transform the Hudson Yards vicinity into a 24-hour neighborhood containing a mixture of commercial, residential, retail, open space and recreation uses.
In January 2005, the City Council approved the Bloomberg administration’s plan for rezoning the Hudson Yards area.
“This milestone is a clear indicator that the MTA is delivering on a major expansion project that will increase capacity within our transit system and generate economic growth in a vastly underserved area,” said MTA Chairman Jay Walder. “Much like our joint effort to improve bus service throughout the city, this partnership between the city and MTA will benefit New Yorkers for generations to come.”
One of the boring machines, each weighing 1,000 tons, has already started digging north of the 34th Street station cavern toward 42nd Street, while the other is being pulled through the cavern and will start its work in a few weeks.
Tunneling north from 34th Street also presents unusual challenges since the No. 7 tracks will run under the Eighth Avenue subway, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit tunnels and former New York Central Line tunnels, the Lincoln Tunnel and the Port Authority Bus Terminal and its ramps.
Excavation and underpinning of the Eighth Avenue subway line are underway to allow the new tunnels to tie into the existing No. 7 line tracks at Times Square.
Tunneling is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2010 when work is to commence on station entrances and support facilities such as ventilation and track power substations.
The No. 7 train is scheduled to begin running beyond Times Square to 11th Avenue and 34th Street in 2013.
A second station was originally planned for 10th Avenue and 41st Street, but was abandoned as too expensive.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 136.
