SSG 12: The Archer Ave Extension (Updated)

The 1967 Chrystie St Connection marked a new era for the NYC Transit Authority (TA) in terms of subway construction—at least the attempt at such. Following the connection, in 1968, came the Program for Action, which included plans for the construction of the Second Avenue Subway, 63rd St Tunnel, Queens Super Express, and the Archer Ave Extension.

The Archer Ave Extension was built through many scandals and much political and economic turmoil as the City and TA slogged on through the ‘70s and ‘80s, a notoriously rough time for New York. The Extension brought three new stations: Jamaica—Van Wyck, Sutphin Blvd, and Parsons Blvd—Jamaica Center. It includes two levels, with the upper level for IND Queens Blvd Line trains (the E line) and the lower level for BMT Jamaica Line trains (the J and Z line). For the BMT line, it would partially replace an elevated line that had been demolished.

Transition point to newer ‘70s construction on branch from IND Queens Blvd Line

As for the IND, the line the line stemmed from a Second System provision which had been built during construction of the Queens Blvd Line in the late ‘30s, southeast (railroad north) of the Briarwood station. Originally intended for a subway extension under the Van Wyck Expressway, the provision extended as a lower level tunnel most of the way to the new Jamaica—Van Wyck station, before dead ending. The newer tunnel (constructed in the ‘70s-’80s) consists of a diamond crossover (X track) just before going into the new Van Wyck station. From there, the extension curves east to Archer Ave, becoming the upper level. The upper level continues as tail tracks after the terminal station at Parsons, curving south as a provision for a future extension down the LIRR Atlantic Branch right of way, through the now underserved southeast Queens.

The curve in the tail tracks provision, leaving many layup trains tilted

Deep bore section

The tunnels are relatively clean, as should e expected with their age, and feature different methods of construction. Some segments of the extension were constructed using the tunneling shield technique of deep bore tunneling—intended to minimize disturbance to the neighborhood. This is the source of the interesting round structure of some segments of the tunnel. However, most of the extension was built with the standard cut-and-cover method.

SSG 11: Queens Blvd Super Express (Updated)

This tunnel is a continuation of the 63rd St Tunnel, completed in 2001 to make the connection between the 63rd St Tunnel that opened in 1989 and the IND Queens Blvd Line, around 40th Rd and Northern Blvd in Long Island City. This final connection of the 63rd St Tunnel to the Queens Corridor had massive effects on service capacity in Queens.

2001 connection lead to Queens Blvd Line

Super Express line plan

The tunnel was constructed with a bellmouth provision for connection to a future Queens “Super Express” line which would run via the nearby Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) right of way. The idea for this Super Express line had actually been around for quite a while, along with the many other plans for branches/extensions under the Second System that never materialized. Under this iteration of the plan, in accordance with the 63rd St Tunnel plan, the Super Express would have gone through this bellmouth and a short distance in a new tunnel before surfacing in the Sunnyside Yard. The line then would have continue on the LIRR Main Line right of way across Queens, going express via the underutilized 5th and 6th tracks. A new tunnel would be constructed in Forest Hills to connect the Super Express back into the subway, and into the Forest Hills—71st Ave station.

The extra capacity this plan would have provided in Queens was part of a larger plan for more extensions in Queens. Trains originally would have continued onto the planned Hillside Ave extension, and in the later version would have served the new area connected to the Archer Ave Line.

Inside the bellmouth

The tunnel itself that contains the provision is rather dull, as can be observed in the photos. It’s a pretty plain gray color, though it is still relatively clean being that it’s one of the newer tunnels in the system. The provision has become a bit of a sewer, dark and full of disgusting muck. It smells awful, a phenomenon I have noticed with many similar tunnels, built near the same time and using similar construction techniques/designs. There are a few gross looking mysterious goos inside the bellmouth of off white, orange, and dark colors—likely the result of water intrusion and erosion in the concrete and steel structure of the tunnel.

SSG 10: The 63rd St Tunnel (Updated)

Under Central Park

The 63rd St Tunnel happens to be my favorite of all the tunnels. Known for years as the “tunnel to nowhere,” as well as the “Zoo York Tunnel” by artists, the 63rd St Tunnel first opened to passenger service in 1989. A massive connection for multiple lines and spanning from Midtown Manhattan to Long Island City, Queens, the 63rd St Tunnel starts at 57th St on both 6th and 7th Ave, continues north into Central Park, and curves east under the park, with the two branches coming together near 5th Ave. From there, it continues east on 63rd St, across the river (and through Roosevelt Island), and across 41st Ave in Queens, finally making its connection to the Queens Blvd Line at Northern Blvd (around 40th Rd), on the 36th St Interlocking. The tunnel contains stations at Lexington Ave—63rd St, Roosevelt Island, and 21st St—Queensbridge. There is an additional branch of the 63rd St Tunnel which begins at the Lex/63rd station, curving toward the north to meet the Second Avenue Subway. A bellmouth provision was also constructed in the tunnel between 1st and 2nd Ave to accommodate a later connection between the Second Avenue Subway south of 63rd and the Queens Blvd Line.

The 63rd St Tunnel route and track map (map credit: vanmaps.com)

63rd St Tunnel, lower level (LIRR level) in the under-river tube section

Construction on the 63rd St Tunnel began in 1969, following the MTA’s Program for Action plan for subway/rail improvements and extensions. The project would serve as a complementary project to the Chrystie St Connection and 6th Ave express tracks, both of which had been built over the prior decade and a half. Those projects introduced a higher capacity to the 6th Ave Line, as well as building a new stub terminal at 57th St and 6th Ave. The 63rd project would make use of this increased capacity and create the connection between the 57th St terminal and the Queens Blvd mainline. The plan for 63rd also called for a bi-level under-river tunnel, with the lower level being dedicated for Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service to Grand Central (the current-day East Side Access project), while the upper level would be used by NYCT.

The reason I classify the 63rd St Tunnel as a Second System Gem is that it was the latest evolution of an earlier IND proposal for new under-river tubes at 61st St—later moved up to 76th St. The 63rd St Tunnel was also designed with several Second System lines in mind: the Second Avenue Subway (SAS) and the Queens Super Express. Half of the Manhattan portion of 63rd was unused until SAS Phase I opened in 2017, with 2 tracks and half of the Lex/63 station being unused until that point. The portion between Lex/63 and Roosevelt Island was also built with a bellmouth provision for later SAS construction, to allow a connection between SAS south of 63rd and the Queens Blvd Line.

Bellmouth provision in the 63rd St Tunnel for later connection to SAS south of 63rd

When NYC hit the fiscal crisis in the mid-’70s, the Second Avenue Subway project was called off, while the 63rd St Tunnel dragged on. A diverse set of construction methods were utilized to build this tunnel, a big part of why it is my favorite. Some sections were cut-and-cover, while others were deep bored via tunneling shield, while others were mined out via drilling and blasting, and the two under-river sections via sunken prefabricated tubes. Additionally, the tunnel was built with many features which can be observed as distinguishing hallmarks of NYC subway construction at the time: continuous welded rail, concrete roadbed and rail mounts, rubber padding on rail plates, fluorescent lighting, modern architecture, and more.

Inside of the upper level of the prefabricated under-river tubes.

The result of these different and improved methods is an architecturally diverse and pleasing tunnel, full of nooks and crannies to explore and unique angles unlike those found anywhere else in the system—even the world. This architectural diversity, labyrinth of spaces, and visually appealing design are what make the 63rd St Tunnel my favorite. Construction would continue behind schedule through budget shortfalls and logistical issues, until finally opening in 1989—two decades after construction began.

With the 1989 completion, the Lexington Ave/63rd St, Roosevelt Island, and 21st St stations were opened. However, the 21st St station in Queens served as the terminal, with the tunnel ending there. As such, the customer reach was extremely limited. To add insult to injury, more than half of the entire tunnel was unused: half of the tunnel in Manhattan had been built as a provision for Second Avenue Subway service which didn’t exist, and half of the tunnel in Queens and between Queens and Manhattan was intended for LIRR service to Grand Central, which also didn’t exist. The connection to the Queens Blvd Line was finally completed in 2001, 32 years after construction initiated.

The connection to SAS was not completed until 16 years later, on Jan 1st, 2017. For photos of the tunnel prior to and during SAS construction, check out the LTV Squad website, with an article from when the tunnel was dormant, and an update from mid-construction, as well as this one showing the SAS tracks prior to the project. Today, the 63rd St Tunnel serves Q trains to/from Broadway and 2nd Ave, as well as F trains to/from Queens Blvd and 6th Ave. Construction on the LIRR East Side Access project is also nearly complete, after years of delays, controversy, and budget gouging (I will do a mega-post on the ESA project once it is complete).

SSG 9: The Chrystie St Connection (Updated)

In the earlier days of the subway, the BRT (Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company—later the BMT, Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation) claimed the Manhattan Bridge as its own, creating a major link between the extensive BMT lines in Brooklyn and their lines in Manhattan. The Manhattan Bridge was built with two sets of tracks, with a pair on either side of the bridge (under the side roadways and next to the pedestrian/bike paths). As originally configured, the northern set of tracks connected to the BMT Broadway Line (today’s N, R, R, and W lines), while the southern set connected to the Nassau St Line (today’s J and Z lines).

However, by the ‘60s, any value in the connection to the Nassau loop via the Manhattan Bridge had been lost, and the NYC Transit Authority (TA)—which had absorbed control of all three rapid transit corporations in the city by the ‘40s—decided to sever the connection and reconfigure the tracks such that the southern set would link to the Broadway Line, while the northern set would link to the IND 6th Ave Line (today’s B, D, F, and M lines) via a new tunnel under Chrystie St on the Lower East Side. The project would accordingly be dubbed the “Chrystie St Connection,” and would reshape the entire transit system for good.

Chrystie St Connection details

Chrystie St Connection details

The plan for the new tunnels would provide for a connection between the Nassau St Line and 6th Ave Line and between the BMT lines in Brooklyn and the IND 6th Ave Line. The connection would begin east of the IND Broadway—Lafayette station, with the express tracks sloping upward and going over their former connection to the 2nd Ave station. Additionally, there would be a new flying junction on the local tracks. The tunnel would then curve south on Chrystie St, with the local tracks turning back east on Delancey St, making a connection with the Nassau St Line between the Essex St and Bowery stations, allowing 6th Ave local trains (today’s M line) to connect to the BMT Jamaica Line via the Williamsburg Bridge. The express tracks would continue further south on Chrystie St, continuing south to the Manhattan Bridge. A station would also be constructed at Grand St for trains on the express tracks (today’s B and D lines).

It was decided to utilize the cut-and-cover tunnel construction method for the Chrystie project, and as such, Chrystie St was almost entirely torn up. Urban legend has it that with this tunnel, a provision was built for LoMEx: the Lower Manhattan Expressway. LoMEx was a Robert Moses project, the idea being reducing the high vehicular congestion in the neighborhood, especially that due to traffic going between the West Side Highway, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the Manhattan Bridge, and the project was planned to run under Chrystie St for the lead up to the Manhattan Bridge. While I haven’t heard accounts of people getting in or seen photos, and haven’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t doubt that some provision could have been constructed. For some time, many people believed the provision was under a mysterious stairway concealed by a grate in the middle of the tunnel, but this sealed up stairway actually goes down to the Bowery station of the BMT Nassau St Line, over which the Chrystie tunnel directly passes.

While the connection, which opened in 1968, is relatively small, its effects were enormous. The extensive BMT lines in Brooklyn were now able to carry trains to/from IND lines in Manhattan, creating greater connectivity for the city. Prior to the connection, despite unification of the three companies into one system in the ‘40s, New Yorkers regularly distinguished lines by the company names still—the IRT, BMT, and IND. Suddenly, the BMT and IND were intertwined. The Connection also began to utilize the new capacity created on 6th Ave by the express tracks and 57th St terminal. Soon, following the opening of Chrystie, came the 63rd St Tunnel project to take greater advantage of that capacity, extending past 57th St.

SSG 6: The Rego Park Provision (Updated)

Another prominent provision along the IND Queens Blvd Line—though lesser known than the Winfield Spur at Roosevelt Ave—the Rego Park provision was planned to serve a very similar route to the Winfield Spur. Sitting between 63rd Dr and 67th Ave are several bellmouths to provide for an extension south via the LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch right of way, without having to reconstruct the entire surrounding tunnel on QBL (similar to other Second System provisions around the city). It’s unclear to me what exactly the progression of plans for this branch of the line was, but in 1929 only an extension branching from Roosevelt Ave had been planned, and by 1939 the extension was only planned to go from this provision.

Southern bellmouth between 63rd Dr and 67th Ave, QBL

Regardless, this line would have brought full time subway service to underserved or unserved neighborhoods and made use of the now decaying LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch (a land of many mosquitoes). Recently, there have been several proposals to utilize this line, but unfortunately, none have gained any traction.

North bellmouth near 63rd Dr

There isn’t much to the tunnel itself at a glance: the provisions are in a standard IND tunnel, cut and cover (boxy) construction, between two local stations. However, a nearby local station, Woodhaven Blvd, actually would have been converted into an express stop during the construction of this line. Furthermore, an additional under-river tunnel between Queens and Manhattan was proposed to supplement service to this line. Originally, the under-river tunnel was planned to be at 61st St, but by 1939 it was moved to 76th St, to join the Queens Blvd Line at Broadway and Steinway St in Queens. This under-river tunnel did actually later materialize as the 63rd St Tunnel.

SSG 20: The Conclusion

To start off, I really enjoy doing these longer “series” posts, and will continue this style of posting. I didn’t really know where I was going with this when I posted the first Second System Gem (S 4th St aka Underbelly), but I like how it turned out. Below, I am showing photos of some honorable mentions and my favorites from the series.

This series covered every provision that I know of in the existing system that was included in the IND Second System plans of the late 1920s and the 1930s. The Second System would have doubled the size of the NYC Subway, serving transit-desert neighborhoods and feeding the capacity of the First System.

The major lines of the Second System plans that I covered were the 2nd Ave line, 63rd St line and Boston Road line; the Lafayette Ave line; Worth St, S 4th St, Utica Ave, and Myrtle Ave lines; the Pitkin Ave line; the World’s Fair line, Queens Blvd super-express and Rockaway lines, Archer Ave/Rockaway line, and Hillside Ave line.

1939 IND Second System plan (including existing track)

One such provision in the 63rd St tunnel, sometimes called a “bellmouth”

Almost the entire Second System plan was abandoned, so “provisions” (for easy extensions of lines) that were built in anticipation of the Second System construction sit throughout the IND system collecting dust. Most of the plans of the Second System were dropped during the Great Depression, and they never regained momentum due to World War II (shortage of labor and funds), the Robert Moses era (focus shifted from trains to cars), and the White Flight of the 50s and 60s (people left the city and took their money with them). However, some plans were preserved and constructed, or are in progress.

In the 60s, the Chrystie St connection was constructed, which expanded the capacity of the 6th Ave line, and connected it to the BMT in Brooklyn. It opened in 1967, and in 1968, the Program for Action was proposed, which set in motion the construction of the 63rd St tunnel, 2nd Avenue Subway (SAS), and Archer Ave extension, with the 63rd St tunnel/Chrystie St connection utilizing the additional capacity to feed the QBL (Queens Blvd Line).

As the ‘70s rolled around, the Transit Authority (TA) was ready to finally begin construction on the 63rd St tunnel, Second Avenue Subway, and Archer Ave extension. Ground was broken for the 63rd St tunnel in late 1969, in Queensbridge Park. In 1972, ground was broken for SAS, and soon thereafter in 1973, ground was broken for the Archer Ave extension.

Completed SAS segment from the ‘70s

Unfortunately, things soon took a turn for the worse. When the fiscal crisis hit the city in early 1975, the timeline for every line was pushed back. A stop work order was issued for one section of SAS being constructed (from 2nd St-9th St), and the other three portions that had been completed were sealed (Chatham Sq-Canal St, 99th-105th St, and 110th-120th St). Construction on the 63rd St tunnel and the Archer Ave extension continued, but the projects were delayed significantly due to the city’s financial constraints.

Finally, in 1988, the Archer Ave extension opened after being plagued with problems and delays for years. The 63rd St tunnel opened soon after, in 1989. However, more than half of the 63rd St tunnel would go unused for decades, and the capacity of the F line T1/2 tunnel was not fully utilized until the connection between 21st St—Queensbridge and the Queens Blvd Line at Northern Blvd was completed in 2001. (The capacity of the G3/4 tunnel was not utilized until SAS Phase I was completed in 2016.)

7 extension south of 34th St

In 2002, plans were submitted by the MTA for an LIRR connection to Grand Central—East Side Access—utilizing the lower level of the 63rd St tunnel as originally planned. In 2004, the MTA submitted a large proposal for a full length SAS completed in four phases. Then, in 2005, a proposal was submitted for an extension of the 7 line to 34th St—Hudson Yards as a part of the proposal for the development of Hell’s Kitchen in the area around the LIRR West Side Yard. These projects are the only significant expansion projects that have been proposed and gained traction in the past 30 years—and they probably will continue to be the only ones. Expansion projects in the 21st century follow the money. The 7 extension was only built because NYC wanted to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, and because billionaire developers wanted to build a massive project in the area. The Second System plans other than SAS all serve neighborhoods with no major redevelopment plans, so they will probably not be revived anytime soon.

Construction on SAS Phase I and East Side Access started soon after the approval, and SAS Phase I was completed at the end of 2016. East Side Access is near complete as of the time I’m writing this, and is projected to open in 2022. SAS Phase II is but a possibility at this point (until the money comes in) and I can’t imagine Phases III-IV happening anytime in the next 50 years. I dare the NY government to prove me wrong :)