Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Lots of Progress at 86th Street


Patrick Cashin, one of the MTA's staff photographers, captured a nice set of images of the 86th Street station cavern earlier this month. As the images below clearly show, there has been a lot of progress underground at this location.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

I believe that this is a view of the south end of the cavern. The two tunnels, which were excavated by the tunnel boring machine in 2010 and 2011, are partially hidden from view in this image.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

A closer view of the south end of the cavern, with the tunnels now clearly in view.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

A view looking north of the three block cavern.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

In this image the photographer is standing at (under) the northwest corner of 86th Street and Second Avenue.  This corner is the future location of Ancillary No. 2 for this station.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

Another full-length view of the station cavern, looking south from a point near 84th Street



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

An artistic image, with very nice light.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

The photographer is now standing at (under) the northwest corner of 83rd Street and Second Avenue. This street corner is the future location of Ancillary No. 1 for the this station.

The duct work on the roof is part is part of the air handling system.  I believe that one of the ducts is used to provide fresh air for the cavern and the other duct is connected to the air scrubber unit at this corner. (The scrubber unit, which is at street level, is used to remove dust and other particles from the air before it is exhausted into the open air.)



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/6/13

Another view of the south end of the cavern - with a beam of morning sunlight.

The complete set of all 23 images can be found on this link:
86th Street Station Update - Second Avenue Subway
via Flickr




Blast at 86th St Station for 2nd Ave Subway (3:54)
12/21/12
By Bruce Martin
Via YouTube

An interesting video of blasting operations, from street level, near 86th Street. The video also shows how the rock is transported out of the cavern.



Here's a listing of the recent and not so recent additions
to the right-hand column of The Launch Box:

"A subway announcement: Finalists for voice of 2nd Ave line video"
By Jennifer Fermino
New York Post
1/30/13

MTA Crowns 'Second Avenue Idols'
MTA Press Release
2/21/13

Blasting for Second Avenue Subway 72nd St Station Completed
MTA Press Release
3/4/13

"Yorkville High-Rise Sues MTA Again Over Second Avenue Subway Entrances"
By Victoria Bekiempis
DNAinfo.com
3/25/13

Video: "Digging the Second Avenue Subway" (6:29)
CBS News - 4/14/13

MTACC Presentation to the CB8 SAS Task Force
MTA Capital Construction
12/18/12

::

September 2012 Public Workshop Follow-up Report
Second Avenue Subway
MTA Capital Construction
12/2012

Quarterly Report - 3Q2012
Second Avenue Subway
Phase 1
MTA Capital Construction

SAS Quarterly Report - 4Q2012
Second Avenue Subway
Phase 1
MTA Capital Construction


The MTA's latest Second Avenue Subway Newsletters
Issue XII - April 2013:

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area



Of Topic
How It's Made- Train Rails


Here's a neat little video that shows how steel rail is made for train and subway lines - if you're interested.

How It's Made- Train Rails (2:51)
ScienceChannel
Via YouTube
1/5/11

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow -- great post, great pictures! Thanks Ben!

jmp said...

Ben-
Have you got any further information on what's been going on in what was formerly the launch box itself? I've seen lots of rebar going into the hole at 92nd street. The other day, there were what looked like pieces of concrete forms around 93rd street, and there have regularly been multi-hour parades of concrete trucks through the area.

The MTA website says that they've been pouring the mezzanine for the 96th street station. Are there any images or plans out there for what's going on?

I'm also very curious how the logistics of replacing the temporary road decking with the permanent roadway will work. Presumably this is not unrelated to the idea of building up the station from the ground within the existing hole. Is the structure that's currently being poured going to support the road, or will it span from edge to edge as the current decking structure does?