TRANSPORTATION• REGIONAL REPORT
MTA Commences Tunneling Prep Work for Second Avenue Subway Extension into East Harlem
Crews began utility relocation and shaft excavation along 125th Street as the Q train extension advances to serve upper Manhattan transit corridors.
By NY District News Staff•Manhattan, New York
August 31, 2026|5 min read
MTA contractors prepare subterranean launch shafts along 125th Street for the Second Avenue Subway expansion.
NY DISTRICT NEWSMANHATTAN — Heavy construction machinery and utility relocation crews arrived along 125th Street in East Harlem this week, signaling the active launch of Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway project.
The 1.5-mile expansion will extend Q train service from 96th Street up to 125th Street, adding new accessible stations at 106th Street, 116th Street, and a central multi-modal hub at 125th Street connecting with Metro-North Railroad lines.
Transit equity advocates have campaigned for the East Harlem extension for decades, noting that residents in the area currently endure lengthy walks to overcrowding-prone Lexington Avenue subway lines.
The MTA confirmed that state-of-the-art tunnel boring machines will be assembled in early 2027 to excavate rock formations beneath Second Avenue with minimal surface disruption.
Local business merchant associations along 125th Street are working with city small business services to maintain pedestrian access and signage throughout the construction period.
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