The extension of the No. 7 subway line to the new Hudson Yards neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan opened on Sept. 13.
The $2.42 billion, 1.5-mile extension of the No. 7 line from its present terminus at Times Square to a new station at 34th Street and 11th Avenue, was funded by the city of New York. City funding included $2.1 billion for the station and tunnels in addition to $266 million for other non-subway related infrastructure work.
“WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is proud to have played a key role in planning and designing a project that will have such a transformative impact on New York City,” noted Gregory Kelly, president and CEO of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff. “While extending much-needed transit service to Manhattan’s far west side, the No. 7 line extension has also been the catalyst for the establishment of an exciting new neighborhood, with the Hudson Yards redevelopment creating millions of square feet of office, residential and retail space.”
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff prepared an environmental impact statement and led conceptual, preliminary and final design for the subway extension on behalf of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Final design services included civil, structural, geotechnical, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and communications design elements, as well as construction cost estimating and scheduling support services. The firm assisted MTA in developing an overall construction program and contract packaging arrangements, provided construction support services, and served as systems integrator, responsible for ensuring that mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems perform interactively as designed.
The extension of the No. 7 line, which allows connections to 18 other subway lines, brings the city’s rail network to Hudson Yards, a 28-acre, $20 billion commercial, retail, residential and recreational development being built on a platform over the rail yard of the Long Island Rail Road.
According to Kelly, “Following our transportation sector’s pivotal role in the extension of the No. 7 subway line, our buildings practice continues to make a major impact on Hudson Yards with its engineering expertise.”
Currently, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is performing structural engineering and mechanical-electrical-plumbing engineering for several buildings at or near Hudson Yards, including 55 Hudson Yards, a 51-story office tower and 3 Hudson Boulevard, a mixed-use 66-story tower. Additionally, the company is providing structural engineering services for 15 Hudson Yards, a 70-story residential high-rise.
