The opening of New York's long-delayed $4.5 billion Second Avenue subway line by year's end is still up in the air, said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's independent engineer.
"The completion of required fire safety and alarm tests by Dec. 15 will require an unprecedented concentration of contractor, MTA capital construction and New York City Transit resources," Kent Haggas of McKissack Group Inc. told the authority's capital project oversight committee on Monday.
"A significant effort is needed to address remaining code deficiencies before commencement of revenue service."
Haggas said the rate of test completions has improved over the last two weeks and the MTA must maintain the pace to finish all required tests before the line opens.
The project team is working with the systems contractor to streamline the integration of all elevators, escalators and fire-safety equipment into the fire alarm system at the 72nd Street and 86th Street station, according to Haggas and MTA capital construction executive vice president Anil Parikh.
"The fire-alarm system is the most critical," said Parikh.
The megaproject is intended to alleviate crowding on the north-south Lexington Avenue corridor along Manhattan's East Side. The first phase would add four stations: Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street, 72nd Street, 86th Street and 96th Street. When fully completed, the line will stretch 8.5 miles along the East Side, from 125th Street in Harlem to Hanover Square in lower Manhattan.
"We're working very judiciously to meet the stated Dec. 31 [deadline]," said MTA chairman Thomas Prendergast.
The authority's New York City Transit unit completed train crew training two weeks ago, said Parikh.
The MTA is one of the largest municipal issuers with roughly $38 billion of debt.
