A New Schedule

Here's a copy of the new schedule for
the MTA's Second Avenue subway project -


(left-click on the image for a view that is readable.)

The schedule above was presented by the MTA at the last meeting of the Community Board 8 (CB8) Second Avenue Subway Task Force on September 24th, 2009.

For comparison purposes, I've also including a copy (below) of the last full schedule that the MTA presented at a CB8 Second Avenue Subway Task Force meeting. (It was presented over three years ago on July 11, 2006.)




When you compare these two schedules a number of interesting things become clear:

• The MTA's proposed in-service date for Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway has now been set for December 2016. (it was late 2013 in the earlier plan.)

• The overall amount of time that has been scheduled for the construction of Phase I has increased from 7 years and 1 month to 9 years and 8 months. (an addition of 31 months)
  

• The scheduled duration of Contact 1 (Launch Box, Tunnels and shafts at 69th and 72nd Streets) has increased from 37 months to 51 months. (an addition of 14 months.)

• All of the other contracts have had a significant amount of scheduled duration time added to them too - with 5 to 30 additional months added to each of the 6 major parts of the project.

The project is taking much longer than planned for a number of reasons. These reasons most likely include:

• On Contract 1 it took them much longer than they imagined to relocate the maze of utilities under 2nd Avenue in the TBM launch box work zone;

• Contracts have been awarded later than planned (e.g. Contract 2A, 96th Street station Site Work & Heavy Civil - the Request for Proposal was issued on 3/7/08 but the contract was not awarded until 5/8/09)

• Important parts of the final design were delayed because the final location for some of the station entrances are still being reviewed. (in particular the entrances for the 72nd and 86th Street stations.)

• Delays related to the acquisition of certain pieces of real estate.

I'm sure that there are many other reasons, and in time they will become known - when the MTA Inspector General publishes his report on the project.

And as a final note, it's important to remember that this schedule depends on the allocation of about $1.5 billion to the project, in the yet to-be-approved 2010-2014 MTA Capital Program.

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S3 Tunnel Constructors also made a presentation at the same Second Avenue Subway Task Force meeting.

In their presentation they includes 4 pictures of the work that is on-going underneath the road decking that covers the TBM Launch Box. Here are copies of those pictures:










A link to the full presentation, from the last meeting of the CB8 Second Avenue Subway Task Force, is provided below.


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Here's a listing of the recent additions
to the right-hand column of The Launch Box

MTA Presentation to Community Board 8:
Schedule and Construction Update - 9/24/09
(PDF, 11.3 Mb)

"Tenants Suing for Evacuation Costs"
Our Town - 10/7/09