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New York, NY - December 7, 2015 - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the substantial completion of two significant contracts on East Side Access, the megaproject that will bring Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal. Workers have completed construction of a subterranean ventilation facility below East 55th Street in Manhattan, and $56.2 million in infrastructure improvements to Harold Interlocking, in Sunnyside, Queens, the busiest passenger train junction in the United States and the place where the tracks for the connection to Grand Central will meet with the Long Island Rail Road.
“The completion of these two contracts underscores the magnitude of the behind-the-scenes work that must take place for East Side Access to function,” said Dr. Michael Horodniceanu, President of MTA Capital Construction. “Most of the work has been going on outside of public view, spanning Manhattan and Queens. Even when the project is completed, the new infrastructure will remain largely out of sight. But it is nonetheless critically important for the project. You can’t have LIRR service to Grand Central without the components we’ve just finished building.”
MTA Approves Final Major Contract for East Side Access Manhattan Cavernshttp://www.mta.info/news-east-side-acce ... tract-east" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
January 27th, 2016
East Side Access Manhattan Caverns
It's another milestone for East Side Acess as the MTA on Wednesday approved the final major contract for the project, which will build and finish four platforms and eight tracks for the new Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) terminal some 100 feet below Grand Central Terminal.
Under another contract awarded last month, a tunnel approach will be built and a bridge rebuilt in Sunnyside, Queens. The total value of both contracts is nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.
“These are a significant milestones for East Side Access and will turn raw underground caverns into the modern station that LIRR customers will use when they head directly to and from the East Side of Manhattan,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. “And the Sunnyside contract will make it possible for trains to reach Grand Central Terminal. East Side Access will save Long Island and Queens customers up to 40 minutes a day in travel time, demonstrating why transit expansion is a key element of our 2015-19 Capital Program.”
The Manhattan contract will transform two enormous 1,143-foot-long caverns carved out of solid rock into a terminal station, with more than 12 miles of track work from Queens to Manhattan, including eight tracks and four platforms in the station; elevators, escalators and staircases to carry customers to and from the underground station; and all architectural finishes through the caverns.
“With the award of these contracts, the eventual completion of East Side Access is starting to come into view,” said Dr. Michael Horodniceanu, President of MTA Capital Construction, which is building the project. “This is the next chapter in the long history of Grand Central Terminal and the growth and development of New York City.”
The MTA selected the Tutor Perini Corporation for the 3½-year caverns project at a contract value of $663 million. During the year-long procurement process, 34 firms requested the RFP documents and seven submitted separate technical and cost proposals. The selection committee unanimously selected low cost proposer Tutor Perini from among three firms that submitted best and final offers.
The contract award was approved on Monday by the Long Island and Finance Committees of the MTA Board and by the full MTA Board today.
