Second Avenue Subway’s final contract brings station systems into procurement

MTA has advanced the fourth and final major construction contract for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 through a request for qualifications, according to New York’s September 14 announcement.

The agency plans to issue a request for proposals to qualified contractors by year-end and anticipates selecting a contractor in mid-2027. Work on the package is expected to start in 2027.

The scope includes station buildouts, tracks, signals, communications, ancillary buildings, 22 elevators and 20 escalators. Testing, integration and commissioning are also included.

Phase 2 will extend Q service approximately 1.5 miles from 96th Street to 125th Street, with three new stations. The state identifies a $6.968 billion project budget and an expected fall 2032 completion.

This is the package that connects much of the passenger experience to the underlying civil works. Accessibility equipment, power, signals and communications must function together before the new station spaces can provide service.

For bidders, that creates a coordination problem as well as a construction task. Responsibility for interfaces with earlier contracts, installation tolerances and testing access will affect how the final work is sequenced.

The procurement milestone is significant, but the eventual award and systems-integration plan will provide stronger evidence of how the remaining program will be delivered.

Reporting source: New York Governor’s Office, September 14, 2026. Sources reviewed September 30, 2026. Delivery implications are Infraday analysis.

Illustrative photograph; it does not document the announced work. Portal North Bridge under construction, May 2025. Photo: Jonathan Schilling / CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified photograph; display size may vary.