A major infrastructure project supporting nearly all Metro-North Railroad riders has been completed years ahead of schedule and nearly $200 million under budget, Governor Kathy Hochul said Monday, July 27.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has finished the structural replacement of the Park Avenue Viaduct, a critical rail corridor that carries 98% of Metro-North service and every train traveling into and out of Grand Central Terminal. The $638 million project was completed 60 months ahead of schedule and $195 million below its original $833 million budget, Hochul said in a statement.
Project serves nearly all Metro-North riders
The 133-year-old viaduct stretches from East 97th Street to the Harlem River and supports approximately 750 trains and 260,000 passengers each day. Many of its original steel girders date back to the 1890s.
“This is what it looks like when government delivers: a major project to modernize essential infrastructure completed years ahead of schedule and hundreds of millions of dollars under budget, all without impacting service,” Hochul said. “The Park Avenue viaduct is essential, and by replacing infrastructure dating back to the Gilded Age, hundreds of thousands of Metro-North riders will now benefit from smoother and more reliable ride.”
The Park Avenue Viaduct is one of three aging structures that make up Metro-North’s “Grand Central Artery,” alongside the Park Avenue Tunnel and Grand Central Terminal train shed. The MTA is investing in modernizing all three as ridership continues to grow and the century-old infrastructure reaches the end of its service life.
Construction finished years ahead of schedule
Construction crews replaced 196 bridge structures and more than 12,600 feet of railroad track over 28 weekends beginning in October 2023. According to the governor’s office, the work was completed without delaying a single Metro-North train.
The project was carried out in two phases, with the first section completed 21 months ahead of schedule in October 2025. The second phase wrapped up this past weekend, bringing the overall project to completion five years earlier than originally anticipated, Hochul said.
While the structural replacement is complete, additional work — including track replacement, cable installation and removal of temporary fencing and girders — is expected to continue through September 2027.
Part of broader Metro-North modernization effort
Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek said the project affects nearly every Metro-North customer and will help ensure safe and reliable service to Grand Central Terminal for decades to come.
“Completing structural work of this scale without delaying a single train is an extraordinary achievement. The modernized viaduct will remain a central artery of Metro-North’s operations, supporting safe, reliable service to and from Grand Central Terminal for decades to come,” he said in a statement.
The MTA credited several construction innovations for allowing crews to maintain full train service throughout the project. Prefabricated bridge sections weighing nearly 190,000 pounds were installed during weekend work windows using custom-designed gantry systems instead of traditional cranes. Crews also used enclosed work zones between active tracks, allowing trains to continue operating while construction progressed nearby.
MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer also called the project “proof that modernization doesn’t have to come at the expense of great service” in a press release.
“Using creative design and construction innovations, this project is a hallmark example of how the MTA is delivering major upgrades across the system better, faster, and cheaper—and all while keeping New Yorkers moving,” Torres-Springer said.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Key Metro-North project completed years ahead of schedule, Hochul says
Reporting by Michelle Grisales, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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By Michelle Grisales, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
