$60M contract will finally bring East Side Access to Grand Central
Via Wikimedia
It was announced today that a $60.2 million contract to build the project that will bring the Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal was awarded to construction and development company Skanska. The award represents the final heavy civil contract in the MTA’s largest largest capital project and one that marks the first expansion of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in over 100 years.
When complete, East Side Access will be able to offer direct access to a brand-new concourse and terminal  to riders on all eleven branches of the LIRR, helping to ease the overcrowding that plagues the west side’s Penn Station. The MTA purchased the Grand Central Terminal in a $35 million deal in 2018 as 6sqft previously reported, giving the agency more control over development projects happening at the space. The sale also included miles of track on Metro-North’s Harlem and Hudson lines.
Mike Viggiano, Executive Vice President, Skanska USA Civil said in a statement, “Skanska is honored to be selected to complete the final major civil contract for the East Side Access project. Strengthening our regional transportation infrastructure is a critical issue that will benefit all New Yorkers. From the Second Avenue Subway and LIRR Double Track to the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport, Skanska is proud to play a leading role in delivering many of the largest transportation projects in the region.”
Recent Skanska projects include the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and Oculus, rebuilding the LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B while keeping the airport open, the Moynihan Train Hall renovation, the Bayonne Bridge “Raise the Roadway” project and construction of the new Kosciusko Bridge. Construction is set to begin in spring of 2019 and be completed by mid-2021, which would enable the LIRR to begin service to Grand Central Terminal by the end of 2022.
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