MTA advances contract to bring accessibility to Livonia Av L Station, enable free physical connection to Junius St 3 Station

A $53.9 million contract has been announced by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to bring accessibility to the Livonia Av L station by building two elevators and a new above-platform passageway.

The project will go to the MTA Board for approval next week. Work on the project, under the new MTA Construction & Development, is expected to take less than two years.

The project is being pursued in combination with companion projects to bring accessibility to the Junius St Station through new ramps and elevators, and to build a permanent in-system connection between the Livonia Av l and Junius St 3 stations.

The Livonia Av project will include full vertical accessibility through the installation of two new elevators. One elevator will serve the street, southbound platform and new passageway above the platforms. Another new elevator will connect the passageway with the northbound platform.

The project will also rebuild two mezzanine-to-platform stairs, build two new platform-to-passageway stairs and make other improvements to architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical components.

The project is included in the 2015-2019 Capital Plan and is one of many that will progress as MTA Construction & Development anticipates committing more than 90 percent of funds from past capital programs by the end of 2020, according to MTA. To emphasize schedule as a critical component of this project, the contract includes an early completion incentive for reductions to the project duration, as well as liquidated damages for extended durations resulting from contractor delays.

“We are changing the way we do business to make the MTA more attractive for contractors and more importantly to deliver our projects faster and with better pricing,” said MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber. “Station accessibility is a huge priority of our capital program and we are jump-starting all of these ADA projects.”

The Junius St and Livonia Av stations are less than 1,000 feet apart, making them a feasible candidate for a permanent in-system transfer. The MTA recently announced the continuation of free out-of-system transfers between the two stations until the permanent connector is complete.

The connection will follow permanent in-system transfers built by the MTA at Broadway-Lafeyette St. BDFM/Bleecker St uptown 6, Jay St-Metrotech ACFR, Court Sq 7/G/EM and South Ferry 1/Whitehall St RW.

The proposed contract at Livonia Av would be awarded to a Citnalta-TAP, J.V.