Despite controversy surrounding the plans for a station at 41st and 10th Ave., the 7 line extension is making fast progress along the West Side, and at the end of last week, amidst little fanfare, the tunnel boring machines hit a milestone. As the MTA posted on its website, the first of the TBMs has completed its 4661-foot journey to its receiving chamber 40 feet beneath street level at 42nd St. and just underneath the Port Authority Bus Terminal’s foundation. This spot is where the new tunnels for the 7 line will meet up with the preexisting tail tracks that now sit west of 7th Ave.
According to the MTA, the second TBM will reach this chamber in July, and the crews will then back the machines up to the launch box at 26th St. and 11th Ave. The massive equipment will be disassembled and lifted out of the future subway, and crews will begin finishing the tunnels before working on station entrances, platforms and support facilities. Thanks to cooperation between the MTA and Port Authority, some of the tunneling work initially projected to take 2-3 years was completed in 18 months, and the extension is still scheduled to enter revenue service in December 2013. Now if only we could see the station at 10th Ave. and 41 St. become a reality.
Photo of the TBM courtesy of New York City Transit.
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