Overview
- Officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking and began excavation at East 119th Street on Monday, marking the start of major construction for the Q line extension into East Harlem.
- The MTA has awarded key contracts, including a $1.97 billion tunnel‑boring contract and separate station construction contracts for 106th, 116th and 125th Streets.
- Roughly $58–60 million in federal reimbursements that had been withheld by President Trump’s administration were released after the MTA sued, removing a near‑term funding threat to the schedule.
- Work will reuse and tie into 1970s‑era tunnels and requires controlled blasting and asbestos and lead abatement, with tunnel‑boring machines expected to arrive in early 2027 and the phase forecast to open around 2032.
- Construction already is disrupting East Harlem through utility work, fencing and some eminent‑domain acquisitions even as officials say the three new ADA stations will serve about 100,000 daily riders and improve transit access for a largely transit‑dependent neighborhood.