Three Lanes to Close on 2nd Ave. for Subway Equipment Delivery

The machine that will make the Second Avenue subway a reality will be assembled over the next few weeks, though up to three lanes of traffic on Second Avenue will need to be closed to accommodate delivery. Starting April 19, the 22-foot tunnel boring machine and 18 double-deck rail cars holding back-up equipment will be delivered to the construction site. Locomotives to haul material into the tunnel and rail cars for removal of excavated material will also be delivered. The mammoth size of the equipment, and the 485-ton machine itself, require delivery between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays only. For the first time, three out of four lanes of automobile traffic on Second Avenue, between East 92nd and 93rd streets, will have to be closed at night until April 23. For a week, from April 26 to 30, one lane will be closed on Second Avenue between East 91st and 92nd streets. This is where the machine and its back-up components will be lowered into the launch box by a crane, just south of the opening. Sidewalks will remain open, but construction workers may halt pedestrian traffic as equipment is being lifted. Though no blasting is involved in this aspect of the project, neighbors will likely face some disturbances due to the delivery. In a letter to affected residents, Sam Schwartz Engineering community liaison Claudia Wilson noted that the area will be lighted and â??some noise during its performance is unavoidable. An earlier notice mistakenly stated that all of Second Avenue would need to be closed to accommodate delivery.