Still on Track for December 2016?

Late in the day last Friday, news website DNAInfo New York reported that delays could push back the planned opening of the Second Avenue Subway.

The basis of their report was a presentation that was made last Monday to the MTA's Capital Program Oversight Committee (CPOC) by the MTA's Independent Engineering Consultant (IEC) Kent Haggas.

The presentation that Haggas made to the MTA's board started out by saying that, "The IEC is unable to verify the project's reported 102 days of schedule contingency."

According to DNAInfo New York,

"The [CPOC] report noted that equipment rooms at the 72nd Street station are two to three months behind schedule, and that there have been been substantial delays in getting permanent electricity to all of the stations. Only some of that delayed time has been made up for by the MTA’s recent attempts to expedite the project, he said.

Haggas also said that about 25 issues engineers asked the MTA to address in December 2012 are still unresolved, and now there are dozens more."

DNAInfo New York went on to report that a spokesperson for the MTA "insisted that the overall project is on schedule to open in December 2016".

A full copy of the most recent quarterly CPOC report to the MTA Capital Program and Oversight Committee can be found on this link:

MTACC Quarterly Progress Report to CPOC
Second Avenue Subway
6/23/14
(The 2nd Ave Subway section starts on page 21)

A video of the actual presentation that was made to the MTA Board can be found on this link:

MTA Board - CPOC Committee Meeting
via YouTube - 6/23/2014

The following updated ancillary building renderings were included in the MTA's presentation to Community Board 8's Second Avenue Subway Task Force Update on Monday June 23rd.

These ancillary building will house the modern day systems -- such air tempering and ventilation equipment -- that are required for new subway stations.

The exterior design for each of these buildings has been a "work in progress" since the earliest concepts were presented to The Second Avenue Subway Task Force back in 2007.

One could assume that these updated renderings now represent final designs.



Updated Artists Rendering of 72nd St Station Ancilary Building 1
69th St & Second - NW corner
6/23/14



Updated Artists Rendering of 72nd St Station Entrance 2 / Ancillary Building 2
72nd St & Second - NW corner
6/23/14



Updated Artists Rending of 86 St Station Ancillary 1
83rd St & Second - NW corner
6/23/14



Updated Artists Rending 96th St Station Ancillary 2
97th St & Second - SW corner
6/23/14

Here are two artist renderings for Entrance 3 of the 96th Street station. The first rendering shows a design from 2008; the second rendering shows the design as of 2014.

The new design now includes a set of stairs that must be climbed before descending into the station on an escalator.  Most likely these stairs were added to the design in a post-Hurricane Sandy review of current and future subway entrances. This particular entrance is on the edge of the Zone 1 flood zone for New York City.



Updated Artists Rending 96th St Station Entrance 3
96th St & Second - NW corner
2/28/14



Artists Rending 96th St Station Entrance 3
96th St & Second - NW corner
10/29/08

And here is the final image for this posting.

Yes, this is a Second Avenue subway tunnel.


Courtesy MTA Capital Construction
101st Street
Southbound Tunnel - looking N
ca. June 2014

This tunnel at 101st Street, which now appears to be almost complete, was originally constructed in the mid-1970s by a joint venture of Cayuga Construction and Thomas Crimmins Contracting.

The tunnel is being renovated and brought up to current standards as part of Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway project.  

You might wonder what this tunnel will be used for, since the last station stop for Phase I is 96th Street. It will be used to store out-of-service trains until Phase 2 of the project is built at some future time.

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

"Second Ave. Subway Delays Cast Doubt on 2016 Completion, Consultant Says"
By Lindsay Armstrong
DNAinfo New York - 6/27/14

Community Board 8 Second Avenue Subway Task Force Update
MTA Capital Construction
6/23/14

SAS Public Workshop March 2014 Follow-up Report
MTA Capital Construction
Released 6/16/2014

"All Aboard? 2nd Ave Subway Set to Transform Retail"
By Gus Delaporte
Commercial Observer - 5/22/14

"MTA chief: 'Too early to tell' about 2nd Ave subway Phase II' "
By Dan Rivoli
amNY - 5/21/14

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXVI, June 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area