EAST SIDE ACCESS TUNNEL

This immense and vital MTA project will connect the Long Island Railroad to a new terminal beneath Grand Central Station. At present all trains from Long Island into Manhattan terminate at Pennsylvania Station on Manhattan’s west side. When completed the ESA will increase service into Manhattan’s east side and greatly reduce travel time for tens of thousands of commuters.

In a joint-venture with Dragados USA, Judlau is boring 4 new tunnels under the East River from Queens to Grand Central Station. This is one of the largest tunneling undertakings in the last 50 years. Dragados/Judlau is employing two state of the art Tunnel Boring Machines (each 22 feet in diameter). With all staging equipment, electric, ventilation and debris conveyers now in place, and starter tunnels and assembly chambers complete, this massive undertaking is fully underway.

In February 2008 Dragados/Judlau was awarded the contract to construct the caverns and new chambers under Grand Central Terminal. This $734 million addition, which is part of a multi-billion dollar project, is also underway.