Capital Construction
ESA Logo
MTA Long Island Rail Road’s Connection to Grand Central Terminal
GRand Central Terminal Exterior
The East Side Access project will connect the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) Main and Port Washington lines in Queens to a new LIRR terminal beneath Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The new connection will increase the LIRR’s capacity into Manhattan, and dramatically shorten travel time for Long Island and eastern Queens commuters traveling to the east side of Manhattan.
Project News
  • The East Side Access Project is currently excavating tunnels approximately 120 feet beneath Manhattan streets. Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are being used, one manufactured by SELI and one manufactured by Robbins. The two TBM's in Manhattan will make eight tunnel drives starting and ending at various points along the alignment. At the end of November 2009 all of the upper tunnel drives were completed. By 2010, all the Manhattan tunnels will be mined.
  • The East Side Access Project will also excavate three new tunnels in Queens. Two slurry TBMs that can tunnel through soil are being purchased by the contractor. To learn more about Queens Tunnels Excavation contract, please click here. Currently micro-tunneling is underway with the use of the micro tunnel boring machines (MTBMs). To learn more about how a MTBM operates, please click here.
  • The 50th Street Ventilation Facility was awarded on December 14th 2009. To read more about this contract please click here. For the status of construction at this site, please click here.

Project Goals | Planned Improvements | Project Benefits | Image Gallery | Construction Update - Work Underway | Construction Update - Upcoming 2010 Awards | Construction Update - Work Completed | Project Leadership | Project Documents | Keeping in Touch
MTA/LIRR East Side Access — September 2010