The MTA awarded a $1.972 billion tunneling contract in August 2025 to push the Second Avenue Subway into East Harlem, the most concrete step yet toward a Phase 2 that has been promised — in one form or another — for nearly a century.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the award, which sends Connect Plus Partners, a joint venture of Halmar International and FCC Construction, to bore tunnels from 116th Street to 125th Street and excavate the cavern for a future 125th Street station. The MTA designates the work as Contract 2 of the Phase 2 program.

Where the project stands

Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway opened on January 1, 2017, extending the Q line to 96th Street with stations at 72nd, 86th and 96th. Phase 2 carries it the rest of the way through East Harlem, adding stations at 106th Street and 116th Street on Second Avenue and a connection at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue that will link to the 4/5/6 trains and Metro-North.

The total project is estimated at $7.7 billion, with the Federal Transit Administration committing $3.4 billion through a Full Funding Grant Agreement signed in November 2023. The remaining cost is carried by the MTA’s capital program. The authority’s projected completion date is 2032.

The construction timeline

The MTA’s published schedule moves the project from paperwork to digging:

  • Winter 2025: pre-construction activity begins along Second Avenue.
  • 2026: heavy construction starts on Second Avenue and on 125th Street.
  • 2027: tunnel boring begins, running from roughly 120th Street and Second Avenue north to 125th Street and just past Lenox Avenue.

Much of Phase 2 reuses tunnel segments bored in the 1970s before the city’s fiscal crisis halted the original project, which is one reason the MTA argues the corridor is comparatively shovel-ready.

Why it matters

East Harlem is one of the densest neighborhoods in Manhattan and among the most poorly served by the subway, leaving the Lexington Avenue line — already the busiest in the country — to absorb the demand. Phase 2’s backers, including Harlem-area elected officials and transit advocates, argue the extension will cut crowding on the 4/5/6 and give a long-underserved community a faster ride downtown. Skeptics point to the Second Avenue Subway’s history of cost overruns and delays; the contract award is meant to signal that this time the money is committed and the work is underway.

Verification

  • MTA awards $1.972B Contract 2 to Connect Plus Partners for 116th–125th St tunneling — Governor Hochul press release
  • MTA project page: stations at 106th, 116th, and 125th St/Lexington; Q-line extension — mta.info
  • $7.7B total cost, $3.4B FTA Full Funding Grant Agreement (2023), 2032 completion — Tunneling Online
  • Construction timeline (pre-construction winter 2025, heavy construction 2026, boring 2027) — CBS New York
  • Phase 1 history and corridor background — Second Avenue Subway, Wikipedia

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Second Avenue Subway Phase 2?
An extension of the Q line north from its current 96th Street terminus into East Harlem, adding stations at 106th and 116th Streets on Second Avenue plus a major hub at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue connecting to the 4/5/6 and Metro-North.
How much does Phase 2 cost and who pays?
The total project is estimated at $7.7 billion. The Federal Transit Administration committed $3.4 billion through a Full Funding Grant Agreement signed in 2023; the rest comes from the MTA capital program.
When will it open?
The MTA's projected completion date is 2032. Heavy construction begins in 2026, with tunnel boring slated for 2027.
Who won the tunnel contract?
Connect Plus Partners, a joint venture of Halmar International and FCC Construction, won the $1.972 billion contract to bore tunnels from 116th to 125th Street and excavate the future 125th Street station.