Phase II Mass Transit Improvements

Phase II: Overview

Phase II will move forward with the goal of providing mass transit to Manhattan’s West Side. Dedicated stations will be constructed at 42nd Street, 50th Street, and 59th Street. The north-south route along 11th Avenue would become its own dedicated service line—the 11th Avenue Line. The northern terminus of this line, designated the 8 Line, would also connect to a new Amtrak/Metro North station along the West Side Line at 59th Street. The total population served (residents and commuters) would be approximately 900,000 people.

Phase II is particularly complicated from an engineering standpoint due to the need to construct a double junction above the 34th Street / Javits Center station. Since an at-grade double junction is impracticable, a flying junction would need to be built. Flyovers, such as the one required to continue the subway line above 42nd Street, typically require a lot of space both lengthwise and crosswise, and as a result, cannot always be built. However, due to the deep construction of the line and large cavern design of the 34th Street / Javits Center station, construction of the junction is feasible, albeit expensive. At a total length of 4,800 feet, Phase II is estimated to be completed at a cost of $2.1 billion, including $1.2 billion in tunneling costs, and $900 million in station costs.

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